MOSCOW, May 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Russia will stop free flights sending crews to the International Space Station (ISS) next year, an official of Russia's space agency said Tuesday.

    "We are planning a purely Russian program starting in 2006, which will be based on our own tasks and interests in the ISS project," Alexei Krasnov, director of the manned flights program at the Russian Federal Space Agency, was quoted by Interfax as saying.

    The space agency is "planning to work in the Russian segment, believing that shuttles will resume their flights and send US astronauts to the ISS," Krasnov said.

    "Of course, we also plan joint work to service the station. We still need to reach an agreement on time distribution," said Krasnov.

    Russia's space program has been the station's lifeline for two years since the suspension of US shuttle flights after the Columbia disaster.

    US shuttle Columbia disintegrated as it returned to Earth on Feb. 1, 2003, killing seven astronauts onboard.

    The US space agency NASA has announced a delay of two months in resuming shuttle flights to allow further work on launch-debris.

    Space shuttle Discovery, originally scheduled to blast off between May 22 and June 3, will have to be removed from the launch pad for extra repairs on its external fuel tank. The next launch window is from July 13 to July 31. Enditem