AFP
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NOS News•today, 20:19•Amended today, 20:42
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The American space agency NASA and its Russian counterpart Roskosmos have reached a new agreement on joint flights to the International Space Station. As a result, Americans can continue to fly in Russian Soyuz capsules and Russians can travel on American spacecraft.
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Space is one of the last areas in which the Americans and Russians work closely together. The countries have been partners in the International Space Station for decades, which began construction nearly 25 years ago.
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The space agencies say the new agreement is in the interests of both countries. Space flights to the ISS are guaranteed in this way, even if one of the countries suffers from delayed or canceled rocket launches.
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Shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the tone was even less conciliatory. Roskosmos CEO Rogozin said he wanted to cut all ties with the West. He also threatened to crash the ISS because of Western sanctions. The threat was quickly brushed aside by NASA boss Nelson. “He brags now and then, but he’s always worked with us,” he said in March.
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American dependency
The first flights under the new agreement will be operated in September. Then an American astronaut flies with two Russians in a Soyuz capsule to the space station. And a Russian cosmonaut travels with two American and a Japanese astronaut in a space capsule of the American SpaceX. The Russian is currently training for her mission at NASA headquarters in Houston.
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In recent years, NASA has been completely dependent on the Russians to transport people to the ISS. After the end of the Space Shuttle program, the United States did not have its own manned space capsule for many years. Two years ago, the commercial SpaceX launched the Crew Dragon, allowing the Americans to send people to space again.
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Interestingly enough, Russian President Putin replaced the head of Roskosmos just today. This happened shortly before the announcement of the agreement.
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