WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd November, 2020) Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov says he hopes the two countries' successful cooperation in space, which has been particularly evident over the past 20 years of continuous crewed operations on the International Space Station (ISS), will help resolve global challenges.
"Over these two decades, about 250 people from 19 countries have been to the ISS. Many experiments and studies in biology, medicine, physics and chemistry have been conducted there. It is also important that for many years Russian cosmonauts and U.S. astronauts have been closely cooperating shoulder to shoulder in an open and fruitful manner at the station in the interests of not only their states, but also all the humankind. They help each other in space on a daily basis, despite all the difficulties on Earth," Antonov said in a statement on Monday, which marks 20 years of continuous ISS crewed operations.
The ambassador recalled the pioneers of long-duration expeditions, Russian cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev, as well as NASA astronaut William Shepherd, and wished the current, expedition 64 crew, consisting of Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Ryzhikov, as well as NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, to return safely to Earth.
"We hope that the partnership between our countries in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes will continue to remain beyond politics, help solve many global challenges as well as open new prospects in economy, science and social sphere," Antonov said.
The head of Russian space agency Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, said on Monday that the ISS will allow to preserve international space cooperation despite "all the complexity of the current situation in world politics." Rogozin said that the space station has a "serious future."
According to Roscosmos, Russia plans to send two new modules to the ISS next year.
