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Such a project would rival the International Space Station
(ISS), an orbiting laboratory that involves 15 nations including
Russia and the United States. Moscow has cast doubt on the ISS's
long-term future as ties with Washington plummet over Ukraine.
"I confirm we are considering such an option. This is a possible
direction of development," RIA quoted Roscosmos head Oleg
Ostapenko as saying when asked about whether Russia has plans to
develop it own space station.
He said such a space station could become a key part of Russian
missions to the Moon.
It is not clear how such a project would be financed as Russia
is widely expected to enter recession next year and the economic
crisis is aggravated by Western sanctions over Russia's policy
in the Ukraine crisis.
Washington wants to keep the $100 billion ISS in use until at
least 2024, four years beyond the previous target. But a Russian
government official said in May that Moscow would reject
Washington's request to prolong its operations.
The Russian space station Mir, launched by the Soviet Union in
1986, operated until 2001 and President Vladimir Putin is now
seeking to reform Russia's once-pioneering space industry after
years of budget cuts and a brain drain that led to a series of
embarrassing and costly failed launches in recent years.
(Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
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