GURZUF. May 26 (Interfax) - Further participation by Russia in the International Space Station (ISS) project has no commercial benefit, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said.
"Man-related aircraft account for over 30% of the entire budget of Roscosmos [state corporation] but we get very little take from this. That is why we do not have doubts [on the necessity of cooperation on the ISS] until 2020 but do have after 2024," Rogozin told reporters on Monday.
Roscosmos is to draft proposals for the government regarding Russia's presence on the ISS, Rogozin said. "For now we do not see any commercial sense in this. Probably some other conditions will be proposed, then we will see," he said.
"Let Roscosmos take pragmatic rails. Until now I ask what benefit exists in scientific, military and any other regard from our three cosmonauts staying on the ISS? We have not received a response," the deputy prime minister said.
"We have already proven what we had to prove on the ISS and it is necessary to move forward," Rogozin said.
"The most pragmatic take from space should be ensured, not doing what we have been doing for over 30 years with no significant results so far," he said.