WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th November, 2020) The United States still hopes to reach a deal with Russia's Federal Space Agency Roscosmos to fly cosmonauts into space on US private sector flights while Russia to continue flying US astronauts on its rockets, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said on Friday.
"We want to have an exchange of seats where Russian cosmonauts can fly on [US] commercial crew vehicles and that is necessary," Bridenstine told a press conference. "Those discussions are ongoing. We don't have a resolution at this point but that is something we are working towards."
Bridenstine explained that such an agreement would benefit the space programs of both countries and give them much more flexibility and additional options in deploying crew members to the International Space Station.
On October 13, Bridenstine said that he remained hopeful that Russia would participate in NASA's plans to return humans to the surface of the Moon by 2024, also known as the Artemis program.
Bridenstine also said that Russian spacecraft bound for the Moon would be compatible to dock with the Lunar Gateway craft, which will facilitate future lunar missions.
