A Russian space official said his country will be able to develop the International Space Station even if U.S. participation is withdrawn.
"If something happens and the (United States) pulls out of the program, we will be ready," said Alexander Medvedchikov, the deputy head of Roskosmos, the Russian space agency, as quoted by the RIA news agency.
Russia could develop the station with the help of the new Kliper manned shuttle spacecraft, which is being created now, Medvedchikov said during an Internet briefing.
Kliper was proposed in 2004 by the Russian Energia Corp. and was designed to replace the Soyuz.
The United States does not intend to use its space shuttles forever, Medvedchikov said.
"This is too expensive a pleasure, and these space shuttles are anyway quite old," he added.
U.S. President Bush has said t! he United States would help complete construction of the station using the space shuttle fleet, but would retire the shuttle after that.
