Russia will withdraw from the International Space Station project after 2024 to focus on forming its own space station, the head of the Russian space agency said.
The announcement, given by Roscosmos CEO Yuri Borisov, reflects the further disintegration of relations between the U.S. and Russia.
The two nations have partnered with Japan, Canada and other European countries on the project for nearly 30 years.
Borisov said Russia will honor all commitments to its partners but will not waiver on the 2024 deadline.
Russian officials have not yet notified NASA of their plans, according to Robyn Gatens, director of the space station for NASA.
What is the International Space Station? The International Space Station, or ISS, is a large spacecraft that orbits the earth and houses crews of astronauts and cosmonauts, according to NASA.
The station is the culmination of the work of several nations. It's not owned by any one nation..
Rather, it's a "co-operative program" between Europe, the U.S., Russia, Canada and Japan, according to the European Space Agency.
The station was first launched in November 1998. The first crew arrived once the station became habitable on November 2, 2000, and researchers have lived on the space station ever since.
As of May 2, 258 people have visited the ISS , according to NASA. Some 158 of those visitors came from the U.S., and 54 came from Russia.