NASA Expects To Continue ISS Partnership With Russia Until 2030 - Head

CAPE CANAVERAL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th October, 2022) NASA expects Russia to remain its partner at the International Space Station (ISS) until 2030, NASA chief Bill Nelson told reporters on Wednesday.

When asked whether Russia is an important partner in space, Nelson said, "Very important."

"They help run and manage the station with us. We expect Russia to be our partner in the International Space Station all the way to 2030," Nelson stated.

Nelson came to see the Crew 5 walkout at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The US-made Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying two NASA and a Japanese astronauts, as well as a Russian cosmonaut will blast off on Wednesday afternoon from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Russian state space corporation Roscosmos is discussing its future participation in the ISS program with the Russian government and hopes to have a permission to continue next year, Roscosmos Executive Director for Piloted Spaceflights Sergey Krikalev told a press briefing on Monday. Roscosmos previously said it is planning to In� depart the ISS program after 2024.

In July, Roscosmos and NASA signed an agreement on integrated flights of cosmonauts and astronauts to the ISS. As part of the agreement, the Soyuz-2.1a rocket with a Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft was launched from Baikonur to the ISS on September 21 carrying a crew including Russian cosmonauts Sergei Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin as well as NASA astronaut Francisco Rubio. The only female cosmonaut at Roscosmos, Anna Kikina, will fly to the ISS on the US-made Crew Dragon spacecraft on Wednesday.