Discussion of Cooperation Between Russia and the USA in Space

• Dmitry Rogozin discussed cooperation with NASA at the ISS
• The meeting took place for the first time in over seven years
• Russia began cooperation with China due to Western sanctions

Moscow (AP) – The head of the Russian space agency met with officials from the United States to discuss plans for future cooperation between Moscow and Washington regarding the International Space Station and research on the Moon with NASA’s administrator, transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg. This was the first in-person meeting in over seven years.

Dmitry Rogozin, director of the state corporation "Roscosmos," met on Thursday with the new administrator of NASA to discuss future work on the ISS, cooperation in lunar exploration programs, joint research of deep space, and other space projects. A planned launch of a crew from the USA, Japan, and Russia to the space station was delayed due to weather on Friday.

After Moscow sent troops to Ukraine in 2022, relations between "Roscosmos" and NASA became strained, but both countries continue to cooperate. Russian and American crews continue to fly to the orbital station on spacecraft from each country.

Plans for broader cooperation, including the possibility of Russia's participation in NASA's Artemis program for lunar exploration, have lost relevance. Under Western sanctions, Russia has begun cooperating with China regarding its future lunar missions.

Rogozin noted that he and Buttigieg agreed to continue supporting the operation of the space station until the end of the decade. "Our experts will start working on these issues," he said, expressing gratitude to Buttigieg for maintaining contacts, regardless of geopolitical tensions.

Rogozin also invited Buttigieg to visit Moscow and the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for the launch of another Russian-American crew to the space station, scheduled for November.

"I will prepare a note for the support of the cooperation channel between Russia and the USA, and I hope that NASA will do the same," Rogozin concluded.

Tags: USA/Russia/Technology/Space