Russia's space agency is discussing with Moscow a continuation of its participation in the International Space Station (ISS) past 2024, a Roscosmos official said Monday.

Sergei Krikalev, the head of Russia's human space flight programs, told reporters that Roscosmos had started "to discuss extending our participation in [the] ISS program with our government and hope to have permission to continue next year."

In late July, Russia said it would quit the International Space Station after 2024 and build one on their own in the future.

Krikalev admitted that building a new station would not happen quickly, "so probably we will keep flying until we will have any new infrastructure."

His remarks, in English, came during a NASA press conference ahead of Wednesday's launch of a SpaceX rocket that will carry a Russian cosmonaut, two American astronauts and a Japanese astronaut to the ISS.

ISS partner countries – the United States, Russia, Europe, Canada and Japan – are for the moment only committed to operate the orbiting laboratory until 2024, though U.S. officials have already stated they want to continue until 2030.

(With input from AFP)