The US and Russia will participate in the International Space Station until 2030, despite tensions on Earth

Bill Nelson, NASA administrator, hailed the station as a benefit to diplomacy and science when he announced funding.

“The International Space Station is a beacon of peaceful international scientific cooperation and has been returning tremendous scientific, educational and technological developments for the benefit of humanity for more than 20 years,” he said.

Dmitry Rogozin, head of the Russian space agency, was more concise in an interview with CNN.

“This is a family where separation within the station is not possible,” he said.

The funding deal comes at a time when China is seen as an increasingly powerful competitor in the space race.

There are plans for privately funded Jeff Bezos Blue Origin space stations, Nanoracks and Northrop Grumman.

However, they are unlikely to be ready before the end of the decade, which is understood as a factor in the decision to extend funding for the space station.

“A lot of money has been invested in the space station,” Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist with the Harvard Smithsonian Center, told the Telegraph.

“They don’t want to throw away the billions of dollars they’ve already invested.

“The space station will have to be replaced, but where will they get the money for that and the Artemis program to send astronauts to the moon by 2025.”