Russian astronaut prepares to board the International Space Station aboard SpaceX

NASA plans to use SpaceX spacecraft to send at least two more Russian astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).

NASA is negotiating Added Russian astronauts to Crew-7 and Crew-8 – The next two missions will involve bringing the crew to the ISS station, Space reported on March 7.

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft has docked with the International Space Station (ISS).

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft has docked with the International Space Station (ISS). (Photo: NASA).

The deal to send a Russian astronaut to the Crew-7 mission, scheduled to launch this fall, is being discussed with the Russian government and then will return to NASA to reach a final agreement, Director Kathy Lueders Deputy for Space Operations at NASA. , said during a meeting that took place after the successful launch of the Crew-6 mission on March 2.

Lueders added that the United States and Russia continue to launch missiles. “integrated crew” on each country’s spacecraft in case the Russian Soyuz or American commercial ships cannot be used for an extended period. Negotiations on Crew-8 are also underway. This mission is not expected to be launched before 2024.

NASA was entirely dependent on Russia to send astronauts into orbit. This agency offered its space shuttle “retirement” in 2011. For about a decade, the entire ISS crew used the Soyuz spacecraft, regardless of nationality, and NASA had to pay for every seat on the ship.

NASA is preparing two models of commercial passenger ships to replace the old Space Shuttle. SpaceX’s Crew Dragon will carry people for the first time in 2020. Starliner – “space taxi” from Boeing – has experienced some delays during its development, but is expected to make its first human-carrying test flight this spring.

Russian space agency Roscosmos can participate in SpaceX’s commercial passenger flights through seat exchange agreements negotiated before crew assignment. Meanwhile, NASA continues to send American astronauts aboard Soyuz, but in fewer numbers. Starliner is not yet part of the seat exchange agreements between Russia and the United States, but Boeing plans to add Russian astronauts after certification missions in 2024, according to Lueders.

There are no Russians, but there is the UAE’s first astronaut on a long-term space mission, Sultan Al Neyadi. Russian astronauts participating in the Crew-7 and Crew-8 missions are currently undetermined. However, Roscosmos announced on March 1 its intention to send two astronauts who have never been to the ISS, Konstantin Borisov for Crew-7 and Alexander Grebyonkin for Crew-8.

Article source: VNE