NASA chief visits Russian launchpad for US-Russian crew launch
10 reported
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman visited Russia’s Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a scheduled launch of a U.S.-Russian crew to the International Space Station. The trip marked the first visit by a NASA chief in eight years, according to the source. Isaacman thanked Russia’s state space corporation, Roscosmos, for its efforts to prepare for the mission, citing the professionalism and dedication of everyone involved. He also met with Roscosmos head Dmitry Bakanov before the launch of NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Russian crewmates Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina. The trio were set to blast off aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 for an eight-month stint on the space station. The mission is Menon’s first space flight and the second for Dubrov and Kikina. The source notes that despite tensions over Russia’s military action in Ukraine, cooperation between Moscow and Washington continues in orbit.
What’s reported
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman visited the Russia-leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a scheduled launch of a U.S.-Russian crew to the International Space Station.
The visit was the first by a NASA chief in eight years.
Isaacman thanked Roscosmos for its efforts and met with Roscosmos head Dmitry Bakanov.
The crew includes NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Russian crewmates Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina.
They were set to launch aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 for an eight-month stint on the ISS.
The mission is Menon’s first space flight and the second for Dubrov and Kikina.
The trio will join NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway and Chris Williams, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergei Kud-Sverchkov, Sergei Mikaev and Andrei Fedyaev.
Russia and the U.S. continue to cooperate on the space station despite tensions over Russia’s military action in Ukraine.
Plans for broader cooperation, including possible Russian involvement in NASA’s Artemis program, have fallen apart.
Roscosmos has started cooperation with China on its prospective lunar mission.
Key figures
Jared Isaacman, NASA Administrator
Dmitry Bakanov, Roscosmos head
Anil Menon, NASA astronaut
Pyotr Dubrov, Russian crewmate
Anna Kikina, Russian crewmate
Jessica Meir, NASA astronaut
Jack Hathaway, NASA astronaut
Chris Williams, NASA astronaut
Sophie Adenot, European Space Agency astronaut
Sergei Kud-Sverchkov, Roscosmos cosmonaut
Sergei Mikaev, Roscosmos cosmonaut
Andrei Fedyaev, Roscosmos cosmonaut
Sources: abcnews.com
