The ongoing geopolitical crises will not stop cooperation between the Russian Federation and the United States. Dmitry Bakanov, CEO of Russia’s Roscosmos State Space Corporation said he expects to meet Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Jared Isaacman in the summer.
“Manned spaceflights are not under sanctions, and it is clear why. It is a pragmatic approach, we can be useful to each other. We operate a colossal infrastructure called the International Space Station. And without Russia its operation is impossible now. And the question of what comes next, how this cooperation will continue, is indeed quite relevant. We are beginning discussions with the new NASA chief, Jared Isaacman, who was appointed quite recently, a couple of months ago. So far we have only had a brief discussion via video conference, but we plan to meet in person in the summer,” Bakanov said in an interview with TASS Director General Andrey Kondrashov. {At that meeting, we will discuss the future prospects of our cooperation,” he added. Bakanov also noted that he had had a brief discussion also with the Aerospace Force in the U.S.
The interview was given ahead of the first ever Space Week, running in Russia from April 6-12, to mark the 65th anniversary of the heroic space flight of Yury Gagarin.
Emphasizing the Russian cultural imperative of pursuing space exploration, Bakanov said, “We have no choice. And we should not lose ground, because it has been inscribed in our cultural code and in our souls over the past few generations that we should be in the lead, and that no benchmarks should prevent Russia from dynamically developing this sphere, because it brings colossal good to the population.”
