More than three months after the invasion of Ukraine, the actions of Russia, the United States and other international space station partners show that they want to have the facility to operate jointly above Earth-related tensions.
But one of the biggest open questions is whether the way astronauts and astronauts go to the space station will change. Before the hostilities erupted, NASA and Russia planned to launch “seat shifts” this fall, with astronaut Anna Kikina flying the SpaceX Crew Dragon for the first time.
Kigina is currently scheduled to launch in September as part of the “Crew 5” mission, led by NASA astronaut Nicole Mann. Meanwhile, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio will launch the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft, led by Sergei Prokofiev.
However, a senior NASA official told Ars that there is no official information yet on whether the transfer will take place or not. The decision is in the hands of embassy officials in Moscow and Washington, D.C. and is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.
“It’s practical,” said Joel Montalbano, project manager for the ISS in Houston. “The Roscosmos have to get approval from the State Department, after which they go to their Prime Minister. The deal then goes to the US State Department for approval.
Montalbano said he was pleased with the relocation of the seat to strengthen the alliance shaken by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. I said pay. “I think it’s right to do that because it happened with the same kind of interactions. But we have to see.
Russian astronaut Sergei Krigalev was the first Russian to fly a US spacecraft with NASA in 1994. One year later, NASA astronaut Norman Dagart flew to the Mir space station aboard the Soyuz Kraft. After the space shuttle retired in 2011, NASA had to rely on Russia for transport to the space station. Although NASA charged about $ 90 million per chair, Russia stopped its decision by providing reliable transportation. NASA no longer needs Russia for this, the Crew Dragon goes online as an operational spacecraft.
Seat transfer can be helpful for reasons beyond diplomacy. By flying astronauts in Russian vehicles, NASA can ensure that at least one Western national is always on board, while operating side-by-side during crew-crew deliveries.
However, tensions in Ukraine have boosted stocks. Does Russia like the optics of one of its astronauts flying an American missile? Does the US State Department want similar optics for NASA astronauts trained near Moscow and launched from Russia’s main space station in Kazakhstan?
For now the answer seems solid CanFor that, training for seat change continues, Montalbano said. Kekina was in Houston last week to prepare for her next mission. He is expected to return in mid – June to work in Houston and work at SpaceX Training Centers in Hawthorne, California.
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