Posted: Thu, Feb 21, 2002, 8:56 AM ET (1356 GMT)
The head of the Russian space agency Rosaviakosmos said Wednesday that Russia was considering a larger or even "leadership" role in the International Space Station project. In a briefing to reporters, Yuri Koptev acknowledged that past station delays were due to Russian problems, but said now that a decision by the US to delay or terminate some station components put Russia in a position to "acquire the leadership in the project." Koptev said Russia is proposing to offer a habitation module and second Soyuz lifeboat for the station that would allow the crew capacity of the station to evolve from three to six. Koptev also said that Russia had no plans to built a space station of its known, calling such proposals for a "Mir-2" station "absurd".

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•  AP article
•  RIA Novosti article
•  Interfax article