NASA and Roscosmos finalize barter deal for flying astronauts to ISS
As expected, mere hours after the firing of Dmitry Rogozin as head of Roscosmos, the Russians finally signed a barter deal with NASA for flying astronauts on each other’s spacecraft.
U.S. astronaut Frank Rubio will launch to the space station from Kazakhstan with two Russians in September. That same month, Russian cosmonaut, Anna Kikina, will join two Americans and one Japanese aboard a SpaceX rocket flying from Florida. Another crew swap will occur next spring.
No money will exchange hands under the agreement, according to NASA.
It appears that the firing of Rogozin by Putin signals larger strategic goals. Putin wants to defuse the tensions between the west and Russia, and this barter deal indicates Rogozin’s firing has achieved that aim, at least in space. Whether Roscosmos’s new head, Yuri Borisov, can regain Russia’s international commercial rocket customers is more questionable. Roscosmos under Rogozin proved to be a very unreliable partner. Regaining trust so that westerners will be willing to buy its services again could take decades.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
As expected, mere hours after the firing of Dmitry Rogozin as head of Roscosmos, the Russians finally signed a barter deal with NASA for flying astronauts on each other’s spacecraft.
U.S. astronaut Frank Rubio will launch to the space station from Kazakhstan with two Russians in September. That same month, Russian cosmonaut, Anna Kikina, will join two Americans and one Japanese aboard a SpaceX rocket flying from Florida. Another crew swap will occur next spring.
No money will exchange hands under the agreement, according to NASA.
It appears that the firing of Rogozin by Putin signals larger strategic goals. Putin wants to defuse the tensions between the west and Russia, and this barter deal indicates Rogozin’s firing has achieved that aim, at least in space. Whether Roscosmos’s new head, Yuri Borisov, can regain Russia’s international commercial rocket customers is more questionable. Roscosmos under Rogozin proved to be a very unreliable partner. Regaining trust so that westerners will be willing to buy its services again could take decades.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Why would the US want to do that….we have a demonstrated American way to get our people to the ISS……as Rogozin would put it, let the Kremlin get broomsticks
Col Beausabre: The barter deal really centers on safety. The manned capsules are the station’s lifeboats. It is essential that everyone know how to fly both.
My only concern is Yuri Borisov is more military than his predecessor. Hopefully he can figure out the direction the Russian space program should take. I doubt there will be much in the commercialization part of his plan.
Col Beausabre,
To expand a little on what Bob said:
The new seat swap agreement is for assurance that there will always be at least one person on the ISS to operate the US part of the station (USOS), or conversely, one person to operate the Russian modules (ROS), in the event that a crew needs to return home early. This is because if one person becomes severely ill or badly injured, the whole crew must return to Earth, since NASA policy is to not leave someone up on the ISS without a way to return to Earth. Currently, that would result in the USOS being unoccupied if the Crew Dragon needs to return (or the Russian side unoccupied if the Soyuz must suddenly return). Something NASA would like to avoid if possible.
Hopefully it becomes clearer why this difficulty will still remain for NASA even once Starliner is operational. The USOS is not going to have two crew vehicles simultaneously docked save for the brief intervals of crew handoffs or commercial mission visits (like Axiom’s this spring).
Now, I’m merely describing NASA’s reason. I am not endorsing it.
I think….the longer term answer here may be when Axiom Space starts installing its modules on ISS in 2024. That will add additional docking ports and additional life support, and NASA could probably work up a deal with Axiom to have one of its crew trained at all times to teemporarily take over USOS maintenance if the NASA crew suddenly had to leave. By the way. the proposed Axiom, Northrop Grumman, and Orbital Reef stations, when complete, are supposed to be able to support multiple crews at once, so they shouldn’t have to worry about unoccupied stations, barring some really, really bad luck. At that point, NASA could achieve its objective even if it had to completely break off from the Russians.
It takes a lot of focus for an Italy-sized economy to threaten the world, and that focus necessarily has to be on ICBMs, not commercial spacecraft. That’s why the Russians’ primary manned launcher is based on a 1950s-vintage ICBM. Of course, when it is convenient, the French will happily start using the Soyuz again, to show their independence.
Buy and park another Crew Dragon up there.
It does not even have to be attached to a docking port. Its remote controlled anyways.
I wonder if a fake docking port could be attached to the structure just to store one? Data and power hook up of course.
Richard M said;
“when complete, are supposed to be able to support multiple crews at once, so they shouldn’t have to worry about unoccupied stations, barring some really, really bad luck.”
Like thrusters firing out of control?
https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/thrusters-on-soyuz-docked-to-iss-fire-improperly/
Max,
On the ISS, NASA is in charge of providing electricity and thermal control. Roscosmos is in charge of providing maneuvering thrust and excitement.
Rogozin: When being Russian is deemed to be too obviously Russian for the times.
pzatchok,
It is not a matter of just parking an extra capsule. Even dormant, they have a window of time for remaining in space.
A true, dedicated vessel for safe abandon and return to earth (lifeboat) has never been developed. We just always rely on the vessels used to get them up there.
So…how many chickens is a Dragon seat worth, again?
rotate the extra Dragon out every time a new one is sent up. Thus minimizing the total time they spend in space.
This way there is always an American escape vessel in place and ready. The Russians can deal with their own people by themselves.