Russia, US agree to continue cross-flights to ISS until 2025

The Russian State Space Corporation (Roscosmos) has said that the cross-flight programme of the Roscosmos and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been extended until 2025 inclusive.

The arrangement calls for one American cosmonaut to crew each Russian spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) and one Russian cosmonaut to crew each US spacecraft, Caliber.Az reports, citing Roscosmos.

In July and December 2023, two additions to the agreement on the execution of the agreement with NASA on the flights of integrated crews on Russian and American manned spacecraft were signed.

Cross-flights are required to guarantee the presence of at least one Roscosmos representative on the Russian segment and at least one NASA representative on the US segment.

In 2023, the ISS operating agreement, which expired in 2024, was extended. International ISS partners extended the station's operation until 2030, the Russian government - until 2028.

The head of Roscosmos, Yuri Borisov, said in 2022 that Russia would withdraw from the ISS project after 2024, but the state corporation decided not to hurry. Borisov promised that the Russian analogue of the ISS would be built by 2032.