Published 21:15 IST, May 22nd 2022

Russia will make its decision on astronaut seat-swap with NASA by June: Roscosmos Chief

Russia said it will make its decision on the agreement of seat-swap flights aboard a US-made spacecraft by early June as tensions continue over the Ukraine war.

Reported by: Harsh Vardhan
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Image: NASA/SpaceX | Image: self
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A decision on wher Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina will fly on a X capsule or t will be made by early June this year, Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Rogozin has said. Russian ncy and NASA have made an agreement wherein a cosmonaut would be launched to International Station (ISS) in a US-made craft in exchange for an American astronaut in a Russian-made Soyuz craft later. Needless to say, agreement is hanging by a thread owing to sanctions imposed on Moscow by Western nations for invading Ukraine. 

Earlier this week, Rogozin had said, “I hope that decision (on seat swap flights) will be made and anunced in first ten-day period of June, if t until end of May”, Russian media house TASS reported. He furr revealed that approvals for X flight have entered final sts and said that he will t “rule out that she (Kikina) will go into as part of seat swap flights”. 

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According to TASS, Sergey Krikalyov, Roscosmos Executive Director for Manned Programs, revealed in April that most of Russia's federal executive authorities have already approved a draft agreement on seat-swap flights to ISS. At a press briefing before launch of NASA's Crew-4, Joel Montalba, NASA ISS programme manr had shown optimism about Russia's cooperation in sector saying that US is awaiting approval from Russia's Foreign Ministry. Montalba also had predicted a decision by June. 

Anna Kikina to become 1st female cosmonaut on a US craft

If Roscosmos approves Kikina's flight in X Dragon capsule, she would become first female cosmonaut to fly in an American-made craft. Roscosmos has plans to send her to ISS under NASA Crew-5 mission, which is targeted for launch earlier than fall of 2022.

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Currently, cosmonaut, who is Russia's only active cosmonaut, is training in US to learn how to operate a Dragon craft. Under Crew-5, Kikina will be accompanied by two NASA astronauts, Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, and one Japanese astronaut, Koichi Wakata.

21:15 IST, May 22nd 2022