'Development of cooperation': NASA signs deal with Roscosmos to share space station flights

In order to allow Russian cosmonauts to fly on American spacecraft in exchange for US astronauts being able to ride on Russia's Soyuz, NASA and Russia's space agency Roscosmos have signed a long-sought agreement to integrate flights to the International Space Station.

Highlighting that it will facilitate the "exploration of outer space for peaceful purposes," Roscosmos said that "The agreement is in the interests of Russia and the United States and will promote the development of cooperation within the framework of the ISS programme."

As part of the agencies' long-standing civil alliance, NASA and Roscosmos have sought for years to renew routine integrated crewed flights.

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Cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin will go to space with US astronaut Frank Rubio from the Moscow-leased Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in the first integrated flights under the new agreement.

Launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Anna Kikina will join two US astronauts and a Japanese astronaut on a SpaceX Crew Dragon flight to the orbital laboratory.

As tensions flare over the war in Ukraine, the European Space Agency earlier this week terminated its relationship with Russia on a mission to put a rover on Mars.

"The station was designed to be interdependent and relies on contributions from each space agency to function. No one agency has the capability to function independent of the others," NASA said.

Yuri Borisov, a former deputy prime minister, and deputy defense minister has recently replaced the head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin.

(With inputs from agencies)

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