US to resume International Space Station flights with Russia's Roscosmos: NASA

NASA announced on July 15 that the US will resume International Space Station (ISS) flights with Russia. NASA will resume integrated crews on US crew spacecraft and the Russian Soyuz with the Russian State Space Corporation, Roscosmos, to assure continuing safe operations of the International Space Station, protect human lives, and ensure a continuous US presence in space.

Using integrated crews guarantees that the station has suitably trained crew members on board for crucial maintenance and spacewalks. It also protects against scenarios like a problem with any crew spacecraft, major crew medical concerns, or an emergency aboard the station that forces a crew and the vehicle to return to Earth sooner than anticipated.

In a press release, the US  space agency stated, "Five space agencies (the Canadian Space Agency, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, NASA, and Roscosmos) operate the station, with each space agency responsible for managing and controlling the hardware it provides. 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."

First mission to take place in September

The no-exchange-of-funds agreement comprises transportation to and from the International Space Station as well as comprehensive mission support, including all essential training and preparation for launch, flight operations, landing, and crew rescue services, according to the press statement. Under this arrangement, the first missions with integrated crews will take place in September 2022.

(Image: AP)