The head of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Bill Nelson, gave an interview to Le Journal du Dimanche, in which he touched upon the topic of cooperation between the Russian and US space agencies, as well as the issue of the prolonged existence of the ISS - until 2030
“The relationship between cosmonauts and astronauts, and [the relationship] at the level of the mission control centers in Moscow and Houston, is very professional, sometimes even friendly,” said Bill Nelson. – This cooperation dates back to 1975 and did not stop even at the height of the Cold War with the USSR. It is important that it continues. We hope that the Russians will continue to cooperate until the end of the operation of the ISS in 2030.”
According to Nelson, the conflict in Ukraine "did not have a significant impact" on the joint work of the United States and Russia in space. According to him, "there were only some unacceptable remarks from the former head of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin." At the same time, the head of NASA recalled that at the moment an American astronaut will fly to the ISS aboard the Russian Soyuz, and the Russian cosmonaut is currently undergoing training in Houston.
Recall that on July 15, Vladimir Putin, by his decree, dismissed Dmitry Rogozin from the post of head of Roscosmos, Yuri Borisov, who previously worked as Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, became his successor.
In April 2021, Borisov said that the state of the ISS leaves much to be desired, so Russia can focus on creating its own project - the Russian Orbital Service Station (ROSS). Rogozin, in an interview with the Rossiya-24 TV channel at the end of April, noted that the decision on the timing of the end of Russia's participation in the ISS program had already been made, but would not be announced yet. According to Rogozin, Russia, in accordance with its obligations, will warn partners about it a year in advance. He clarified that the terms of Russia's work on the ISS are determined by the government and the president, at the moment the Russian Federation continues to work at the station until 2024.
Earlier, Rogozin, at a meeting with State Duma deputies from the Liberal Democratic Party, said that work on the ISS in the current geopolitical situation is not effective. He added that colossal funds would be required to extend the operation of the ISS until 2030, otherwise "the station will fall apart."
bbabo.Net