Russia and the United States have reached an agreement to resume integrated flights to the International Space Station despite geopolitical tensions over the war in Ukraine.
The agreement announced by the two sides on Friday allows American astronauts to travel to Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft and Russian cosmonauts to take a trip with SpaceX rockets launched from Florida.
“The agreement is in line with the interests of Russia and the US,” Russian space agency Roscosmos said.
It would ensure that in the event of delayed or canceled rocket launches, at least one member of Roscosmos and one member of the US space agency NASA would always be on the ISS, the statement continues.
A NASA statement also cited security issues and the need to maintain a continuing presence on the ISS.
The first astronauts to take part in the so-called “cross-flights” would be the American astronaut Francisco Rubion, who will be launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in September, and the Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina, who will be launched from Cape Canaveral last months of the year.
American astronauts had been flying in space with Russian Soyuz rockets from Baikonur until 2020.
After that, manned ISS flights also took off from American soil again.
NASA is based on the space carrier Crew Dragon from the private company SpaceX.
In view of Russia’s war against Ukraine, there had recently been speculation about how Russian-American space cooperation would continue.
Former Roscosmos leader Dmitry Rogozin was seen as a hard-line supporter loyal to the Kremlin.
On Friday, the 58-year-old man was replaced by former Deputy Governor Yuri Borisov.
It is not yet known what Rogozin’s professional future will be.
According to media reports, he could hold a leadership position in the presidential administration or administer one of the separatist regions of eastern Ukraine recognized by Russia as independent.