New Russian space station: Russia may be planning to build a new, independent national space station rather than carry on participating in the $150 billion International Space Station (ISS) programme once it reaches it completion date in 2020. A senior source at the federal space agency’s think tank Research Institute of Machine Building (TsNIIMash) told Kommersant on Monday that Russia could begin constructing a new space station to replace its segment of the ISS as early as 2017. The Moscow Times