SpaceX Crew-5 mission: Anna Kikina to become 1st Russian cosmonaut to ride Dragon capsule

NASA and Roscosmos are preparing to send  first cosmonaut from Russia to International Space Station (ISS) in a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft next year. According to a report by Space.com, cosmonaut selected for this endeavour is Anna Kikina who will be launched under SpaceX's Crew-5 mission and this will happen no sooner than fall of 2022. Interestingly, Kikina is only active female cosmonaut representing Russian Federation. 

Anna Kikina's journey ahe

Russian cosmonaut has been named as a member of SpaceX's Crew-5 which also includes NASA astronauts Nicole Mann, Josh Cassa and Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata. Kikina has joined trio for  cargo resupply mission CRS-24 to space station, and will undergo training for upcoming launch. dressing media recently, Joel Montalbano, NASA's International Space Station (ISS) program manager said as per Space.com.

plan is to fly a cosmonaut on Crew-5 mission next fall and n launch a NASA astronaut on an upcoming Soyuz mission.  agency is currently finalising those plans through government agreements. 

Roscosmos has named Kikina as fourth member and according to Montalbano, one astronaut has alrey started training at SpaceX facilities, however, he did not confirm selection of Kikina. Reportedly, director-general of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin has promised a seat to an American astronaut in Soyuz spacecraft in return for a ride in SpaceX's Crew Dragon to a Russian. announcement was reportedly announced first on December 8 and exchange of seats is a part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP).  

CCP is a project in which NASA is working with business partners to build rockets and spacecraft. According to agency,  goal of CCP is to send astronauts to International Space Station from United States. As of now, NASA relies on two companies- SpaceX and Boeing, which it selected in 2014, to carry astronauts to low-Earth orbit and back, although only SpaceX has been capable of job. 

Sending a Russian cosmonaut in an American spacecraft is being seen as a significant development considering recent fiasco by Russia after it tested an anti-satellite (ASAT) missile in space. test drew heavy criticism from US, UK and even NASA as debris created from destroyed satellite endangered space station and seven astronauts living in it.  here to re more.

Image: Roscosmos