Dmitry Bakanov is expected to discuss the deorbiting of the International Space Station with his NASA counterpart, Sean Duffy
Roscosmos chief Dmitry Bakanov has arrived in Houston to meet acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy, for what will be the first in-person talks between US and Russian space agency leaders in eight years.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Russian space agency said the officials are expected to discuss the future of the International Space Station (ISS), including both the extension of its operational life and eventual safe deorbiting and disposal in a designated ocean area. According to Bakanov, a plan has already been developed and the entire process is expected to take approximately two-and-a-half years.
The sides will also discuss the arrangement under which Russian cosmonauts fly aboard US commercial spacecraft while American astronauts travel on Russia’s Soyuz rockets, Roscosmos said.
In addition, Bakanov will meet the members of NASA’s Crew-11 mission poised to fly to the ISS. The team includes Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, US astronauts Zena Cardman and Michael Fincke, and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui. The launch aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Endeavour is scheduled for no earlier than July 31.
As part of his visit, Bakanov will tour NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, the agency’s central hub for astronaut training, mission operations, and long-duration crewed spaceflight planning, according to Roscosmos. He will also visit Boeing’s manufacturing facilities, where the CST-100 Starliner, a vessel designed for low-orbit travel, is under development.
After the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, contacts between Russia and the US have sharply declined, but space – particularly ISS operations – remains one of the last areas of sustained cooperation.
While Russia initially said it would exit the ISS program after 2024 to focus on launching its own orbital station, it later indicated it could continue participating in the project. On Monday, Bakanov told the Russian media that Moscow and Washington would continue operating the station through at least 2028, and possibly even 2030.
Both Russia and the US agree that the ISS, which has been in continuous operation since 2000, must eventually be deorbited due to its aging infrastructure and technical limitations.
