NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Igor Komarov, head of Russia’s national space organization Roscosmos, have discussed further cooperation on space activities between the U.S. and Russia, Space News reported Monday.
Jeff Foust writes Bolden and Komarov said at a press conference on Saturday crew exchanges between the two countries will start once NASA launches commercial crew vehicles to provide transportation to the International Space Station.
“I believe that it is very important for all participants of the program to have alternative transportation means to the station,” Komarov said.
Komarov added Russian cosmonauts will fly on U.S. commercial vehicles while some NASA astronauts will continue to use Russian Soyuz spacecraft, Foust reported.
Bolden noted the two countries have yet to work out details on crew exchanges, the report stated.
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program aims to develop a commercial crew space transportation platform that could end U.S. reliance on Soyuz vehicles.
