Mikhail Mitrofanov, the head of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said on the 5th that establishing a long-term base on the Moon would be more cost-effective than solely relying on the International Space Station.
Mitrofanov believes that a lunar base has many advantages over the International Space Station: maintaining a lunar base would cost much less than what is required to operate the International Space Station; generating electricity on the Moon would also be simpler.