Roscosmos entered into a series of expanded collaborations with NASA last year, reinforcing a broader joint mission framework between Russia and the United States in human spaceflight. The new agreements cover training initiatives for US astronauts to participate in crossover flights and, conversely, training Russian cosmonauts for extravehicular activities on the American segment of the International Space Station. This development reflects a sustained level of technical exchange and mutual capability building between the two space agencies, as reported by TASS through the state news service. The arrangements signal a continuity of cooperation aimed at ensuring seamless ISS operations and shared expertise across critical mission phases.
Beyond training, Roscosmos continues to provide engineering support for the Zarya functional cargo block aboard the ISS. The ongoing engineering services are part of long-standing contracts that help maintain the reliability and performance of one of the station’s foundational modules, ensuring compatibility with international hardware interfaces and mission requirements. This support underscores the ongoing collaboration to sustain the ISS as a multinational research platform with strong engineering ties among partner nations.
Further cooperation involves coordinating NASA personnel activities and organizing the presence of NASA representatives at Baikonur cosmodrome. The purpose is to facilitate cargo handling procedures for the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft and to support launch operations, while also covering pre-launch activities for the Progress MS-21 mission. The joint planning aims to streamline the workflow at Baikonur, enhance mission safety, and ensure timely readiness for spacecraft processing, fueling, and final checks before liftoff.
On July 15, 2022, Roscosmos announced a formal agreement to enable joint crossover flights for cosmonauts from Russia and the United States to the ISS. This initiative was positioned as a mechanism to deepen cross-national crew experience, expand collaborative training programs, and reinforce shared operational standards for crew exchanges and on-orbit collaboration. The agreement aligns with a broader strategy to maintain stable, cooperative access to the space station for both agencies while pursuing common scientific and exploration goals.
In related plans, Roscosmos has signaled intentions to deploy a new Russian Hubble-like observatory into orbit by the close of 2028. This project would represent a contemporary successor concept to the historic Hubble Space Telescope, aiming to advance astronomical research with modern instrumentation and improved optics. The timeline suggests phased development and coordination with international partners to ensure compatibility with evolving space infrastructure and mission objectives.