NASA Astronauts Will Fly To Space On Russian Spacecraft

MOSCOW: US astronauts will continue flights on Russian spacecraft Soyuz, and in exchange Russian cosmonauts will fly on US spacecraft, Roscosmos CEO Dmitry Rogozin said on Tuesday.

At present, the Roscosmos delegation headed by Rogozin is taking part in the 72nd International Astronautical Congress in Dubai.

“Today we discussed with NASA the possibility of cross-flights, that is, when our cosmonauts will fly on US spacecraft. We have started discussing the composition of these crews from today. And the Americans will continue to fly on Soyuz, the spacecraft they love and know.

It is considered the world’s most reliable spacecraft,” he said.

The United States suspended its own manned flights in 2011 following the end of Space Shuttle flights. Since then, the delivery of US astronauts to the ISS has been carried out by Roscosmos for a fee. Washington has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the existing dependence on Russia for its space activities and in 2020, after a successful test flight of the Crew Dragon, announced the resumption of its own manned program.

The last American to travel to space in Soyuz was NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei in April 2021.