Europe wants a decision in 2010 on an extension to the life of the International Space Station (ISS).

欧盟希望将国际空间站的使用寿命延长到2020年。

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Europe's Columbus science module was attached to the ISS in 2008

At the moment, no programme for its use nor any funding has been put in place to support the platform beyond 2015.

But the European Space Agency's (Esa) Director General, Jean-Jacques Dordain, told the BBC the uncertainty² was undermining best use of the ISS.

He said he was persuaded of its worth, and expressed the desire to keep flying the station until at least 2020.

Only by guaranteeing longevity寿命，长寿 would more scientists come forward to run experiments on the orbiting laboratory, he argued.

"I am convinced that stopping the station in 2015 would be a mistake because we cannot attract the best scientists if we are telling them today 'you are welcome on the space station but you'd better be quick because in 2015 we close the shop'," he said.

The weightless environment on the station enables scientists to study systems and processes without the bias偏见，斜纹 of gravity. Already it is providing new insights into infectious and degenerative diseases变性疾病, and is expected to return new knowledge in a host of other fields as well, such as materials science.

But scientists needed time to run their experiments, Mr Dordain said.

The ISS project is a partnership⁵ of five - the US, Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada.

Budget consideration

One of the biggest issues holding up an agreement on station-life extension is the human spaceflight review ordered by US President Barack Obama.

The Americans are developing a new vision for space exploration, and the rockets and spacecraft they will need to implement实施，落实 it. The future of US participation⁷ in the ISS is intimately亲切地，熟悉地 tied to the outcome结果，结局 of the review.

Mr Dordain said no one partner in the ISS project could unilaterally call an end to the platform. A meeting would be held in Japan later in the year where he hoped the partners could get some clarity清楚，清晰 going forward.

"The decision must be taken early enough to put the budget in place, to build the hardware necessary and to decide on which transportation policy we shall use between 2015 and 2020. There are lot of aspects to be discussed and if decisions are not taken by the end of this year - beginning of next year - it will become more and more difficult to have the approach under which we will exploit the space station."