Russia and the United States will spend in the fall of 2022 Cross-flights to the International Space Station (ISS). This is reported by RIA Novosti with reference to the statement of the NASA program coordinator at the ISS Joeel Montalbano as part of a press conference dedicated to the shipment of the Dragon Cosmic Spacecraft to the ISS.
Our plan [launch astronaut] within the framework of Crew-5 in the fall 2022. We are planning to send Russian astronaut on the ship Dragon and American astronaut on the “Union”, “said Montalbano.
According to him, countries have entered into an intergovernmental agreement, the NASA is waiting for its approval from the Russian government.
“We discussed the intergovernmental agreement necessary for this, which our State Department and Russian ministries should conclude. The preliminary agreement has passed the State Department and now on the Russian side,” the NASA coordinator said.
He also noted that Russian astronauts have already begun training in the USA for flights on the American Crew Dragon ship.
Previously “Roskosmos” revealed a schedule for recreation of Russian astronauts on the ISS in New Year’s holidays. Anton Slipples and Peter Dubrov will only rest on the ICS only two days: January 1-2, and from January 3, they will begin work and prepare for exit to open space.