MOSCOW, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Russia and the United States are discussing a possible extension of the operation of the International Space Station (ISS) beyond 2028, a senior Russian space official said Friday.

File photo of the International Space Station. (Photo: Xinhua)

"We have planned for the station's operations through 2028. The Americans have qualified their segments for operation through 2030," said Sergei Krikalev, deputy director general of Russia's state space corporation Roscosmos.

"Discussions are currently underway regarding a possible further extension of the station's operation to ensure a smooth transition from one station to another," he added.

Krikalev said Russia is not the only party interested in this approach. "According to U.S. plans for the development of orbital infrastructure, individual modules or initial components of new stations will also be assembled at the ISS and then undock to operate independently," the Roscosmos official noted.

In February, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov announced that the deployment of Russia's national orbital station is set to begin in 2028, and that it will become a key platform for deep space exploration.

Meanwhile, Russia's next-generation crewed transport spacecraft is expected to conduct its first spaceflight in 2028, according to Roscosmos.