Russia will not participate in the Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway project with the United States in its current form and may create its own station, Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Russian state space corporation Roscosmos, said on Saturday, UrduPoint reported.
"The Russian Federation cannot let itself participate [in the project] as a second fiddle," Rogozin said.
He added that Russia may develop its own lunar orbital project instead, possibly an international one.
"Whether it will be a Russian or an international station is subject to discussion," Rogozin said.
The Roscosmos head did not exclude that the United States could take part in the new Russianproject, adding that BRICS association members Brazil, India, China and South Africa could partake in the station's development as well.
According to Rogozin, he would have a meeting with the administrator of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), James Bridenstine, to discuss Russia's position on the issue of lunar orbital bases.
