A recent interview with Dmitry Rogozin, the managing director of Roscosmos, touched on spaceflight plans and safety concerns involving international partners. Rogozin discussed the stance of Russian space authorities regarding American spacecraft and the possibility of collaboration with Boeing Starliner. He emphasized that Russian cosmonauts would not travel on the Starliner missions, citing past incidents and the importance of minimizing risk to crew members. He stated outright that the Starliner’s earlier crashes and subsequent issues have cast doubt on its reliability, and he asserted that Russia would not place its astronauts on board as long as concerns about safety persist.
The Roscosmos chief also commented on NASA’s proposals for cross flights, where an American cosmonaut would be assigned to a Soyuz MS crew while a Russian cosmonaut would ride the Crew Dragon. He noted that while such arrangements might appear beneficial for joint mission continuity, Russian authorities remain wary of accepting this arrangement in its current form. He pointed to a range of technical challenges associated with Elon Musk’s spacecraft as a stumbling block to broader collaboration. Rogozin remarked that unresolved issues, including the life support and sanitation systems, create real operational risks that could undermine mission success if adopted without thorough remediation.
According to Rogozin, American cosmonauts also prefer to maintain their training and flight skills aboard familiar platforms rather than cross training on Soviet-era or allied ships. This sentiment underscores a broader emphasis on preserving proficiency and mission readiness across spacefaring programs. Rogozin previously stated that any observation missions aboard the International Space Station would prioritize biomedical experiments conducted by Russian crew members, reflecting a balanced approach to research objectives while safeguarding national capabilities in space operations.
In summary, the exchange highlights a cautious stance from Moscow on accepting cross-flight arrangements and on keystone partnerships until technical reliability and safety standards are clearly demonstrated. The dialogue signals a desire to uphold Russia’s autonomous spaceflight capabilities while continuing to assess international cooperation in light of evolving spacecraft performance and safety records. Attribution: Roscosmos statements and public remarks by Dmitry Rogozin.