Posted: Fri, Mar 12, 2010, 7:38 AM ET (1238 GMT)
Partner nations in the International Space Station project affirmed Thursday their desire to keep operating the station at least to 2020, while studying the possibility of further extensions. Heads of the agencies involved in the ISS, meeting in Japan, concluded that there are no "technical constraints" to keep flying the ISS to at least 2020. The agencies are studying certification of on-orbit elements of the station through 2028, 30 years after the launch of the station's first modules. Previous NASA budget documents included funding for the ISS only through 2015, but the 2011 budget proposal released last month includes extending ISS operations at least through 2020.

Related Links:

•  Space News article
•  Spaceflight Now article
•  AFP article
•  RIA Novosti article
•  Heads of agencies joint statement on the ISS