A Russian spacecraft docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday, carrying an American astronaut Jonathan Kim, as well as two Russian cosmonauts. The mission marks a significant example of Russia-US space cooperation, which dates back to 1975 when the first joint crewed international space mission was carried out.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, hailed the launch as a symbol of enduring cooperation in the space industry. Despite US sanctions on Russia, space exploration has remained an area of collaboration between the two nations. Kim will spend eight months conducting scientific research on the ISS, which now has 10 people on board.
The Russian Soyuz rocket successfully delivered Kim and Russians Sergei Ryzhikov and Alexei Zubritsky to the ISS, where they were greeted by their companions, including four NASA astronauts and Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi. The launch is seen as a positive development for US-Russia relations, with Dmitriev suggesting future joint investment in the Arctic and rare earths.
Russia plans to go it alone with its own space station, launching the first two modules in 2027. However, the country is expanding its cooperation with China in space exploration, further highlighting the complexities of Russia’s space policy amidst tensions with the West.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/science/spacecraft-carrying-russians-american-takes-off-baikonur-cosmodrome-2025-04-08