'Dark new era in space' as Putin vows to launch Moscow's new rival space station in 2027 after splitting from NASA over Ukraine invasion

It's full-speed ahead for Russia's independent space program, despite corruption scandals and international turmoil, President Vladimir Putin told space industry officials Thursday in a televised meeting.

The first module of Russia's new orbital platform — arguably yet another sign of the dark and less cooperative new era in space that is set to follow the end of the International Space Station (ISS) in 2030 — should launch in 2027, Putin said.

'As the resources of the International Space Station run out,' Putin said, 'we need not just one segment, but the entire station to be brought into service.'

The Russian president also vowed to continue the country's lunar program despite the catastrophic crash landing of Russia's Luna-25 craft this August on the moon's south pole. 

'It's a pity ... It is a negative experience,' Putin said. 'But it will be used in the future to avoid any mistakes.' 

Since it began in 1988, the ISS has served as a model of international scientific cooperation, between the United States, Europe, Russia and others.

But Moscow's current plans to continue its participation in the now 25-year-old ISS until 2028, Putin said, was a only temporary measure.

Yuri Borisov, head of the Russian space agency, Roscosmos, endorsed Putin's position as a means of maintaining the country's capabilities in manned space flight.

'The ISS is getting old and will come to an end,' Russian agencies quoted him as telling reporters.

'If we don't start large-scale work on creating a Russian orbital station in 2024,' Borisov continued, 'it is quite likely that we will lose our capability because of the time gap.' 

'The ISS will no longer be there and the Russian station won't be ready.'

Putin emphasized in Thursday's televised meeting that the new station had to 'consider all advanced achievements of science and technology and have the potential to take on the tasks of the future.' 

He said the development of the new space station would proceed 'all in good time.'

In his remarks yesterday, Putin further elaborated that he had been fully informed about the technical mishaps that led to the crash landing of the Luna-25 craft in August on the moon's south pole.

The incident, which occurred during pre-landing maneuvers over the lunar surface, served to highlight funding problems, corruption scandals and other setbacks that have trailed a space program that was once the pride of the country.

Mikhail Marov, 90, a top astronomer who was a key consultant on the failed space expedition was rushed to hospital following Luna-25's crash, suffering a 'sharp deterioration' in his health.

Marov's health condition arose after he called for an investigation into the failure of the expedition, Russia's first lunar probe in 47 years.

'We will of course be working on this. The lunar program will continue,' Putin said. 'There are no plans to close it.' 

'Mistakes happen,' the Russian president added. 'This is such a complex activity.' 

Putin also advised the assembled space experts to resolve problems with salaries, which he implied are too low in Russia's space industry, in an effort to attract foreign space specialists — as well as to stoke new interest from the private sector. 

But, while Roscosmos chief Borisov said that the next moon launch might be moved forward to 2026 from 2027 as now planned, the new space base remains the main priority for the space agency.

Interfax, citing an unnamed industry source, reported that Russia's new space station would cost $6 billion. And, when completed, the base will be able to accommodate up to four cosmonauts and scientific equipment. 

'The aim is for there to be no gaps,' Putin said, 'for the work to keep pace with the depletion of the ISS's resources.'