BRICS countries may be invited to participate in setting up a new international orbital space station, Russia's space agency Roscosmos chief Igor Komarov said.

Speaking in an interview with Russian newspaper "Rossiyskaya Gazeta" due to be released on Friday, Komarov said that a new orbital station is under discussion to replace the International Space Station (ISS).

"The discussion framework should not be limited exclusively to current ISS participants. We have to consider a possible participation of BRICS countries in the future projects," Komarov said.

In late March, Komarov said that Russia and the United States planned to jointly establish a new space station after 2024, when the ISS operation service comes to an end.

BRICS group includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, which make up about 40 percent of the world's population and command a combined economy of about $16 trillion.

Source: Sputnik News