NASA announced Friday it would resume joint flights with the Russians to the International Space Station (ISS) to ensure the station’s “safe operations” despite US efforts to isolate Moscow after invading Ukraine.
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Two American astronauts will fly aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket on two separate missions, the first of which is scheduled for September. Two Russian cosmonauts will also fly aboard SpaceX rockets for the first time.
Such an exchange had long been planned, but was still awaiting final confirmation from Russia. It appeared to have been compromised after war broke out in Ukraine, but NASA officials had reiterated in recent weeks that they hoped it would go ahead.
The announcement came hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin fired the head of Russia’s Roscosmos space agency, Dmitry Rogozin. Since the Russian offensive against Ukraine, he has been characterized by very bellicose statements towards the West.
“To ensure the safety of operations of the International Space Station, protect the lives of astronauts, and ensure the continued presence of Americans in space, NASA will resume integrated flights involving American and Russian spacecraft. Soyuz,” NASA said in a statement.
American astronaut Frank Rubio will fly with two Russian cosmonauts aboard a Soyuz rocket scheduled for launch on September 21. American astronaut Loral O’Hara will also fly aboard a Russian spacecraft on a follow-up mission in spring 2023.
Additionally, Anna Kikina, the only active female cosmonaut, will be part of the Crew 5 crew, which is scheduled to lift off aboard a SpaceX rocket in September. And cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev will also fly with Crew-6 in the spring of 2023.
After the shutdown of American space shuttles in 2011 and until SpaceX’s first flight to the ISS in 2020, the United States was forced to send American astronauts to the ISS by buying seats on board Soyuz rockets from the Russian space agency.