Washington - Saba:
Steven Secillof, NASA's public affairs spokesman at the Kennedy Space Center, stated that the upcoming meeting between Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Bakanov and Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy "may set the course for future dialogue between the two agencies."
Secillof told Sputnik on the eve of the talks, "I think this dialogue will be about how to pave the way. We'll see how things go," in response to a question about the possibility of improved cooperation between the two agencies with the arrival of the Trump administration.
Seselov confirmed that NASA and Roscosmos continue to exchange information on a daily basis, despite the political differences between the United States and Russia.
A NASA spokesperson added, "You know about the disagreements with Russia, which didn't just begin in 2018, but at the practical and technical levels, these conversations take place daily."
For his part, Sergey Krikalyov, Deputy Director of Roscosmos, said, "Russia and the United States must work together to ensure the safe decommissioning of the International Space Station."
During a press conference, Krikalyov said, "We must work together to bring the station back to Earth in a safe manner."
Continuing Cooperation
NASA's Deputy Administrator for Space Program Implementation, Ken Bowersox, confirmed that "Russia and the United States will have many opportunities to continue cooperation in space after the International Space Station is decommissioned, if conditions permit."
Bowersox said during a press conference broadcast by NASA on its YouTube channel, "We still have many opportunities." Among the ways to continue the partnership in the future, if circumstances permit.
Dmitry Bakanov, Director General of the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos, led a delegation from the agency to Houston, USA, where he met with NASA leadership, marking the first face-to-face meeting between the two agencies' directors in eight years.
The International Space Station was originally scheduled to cease operations in 2020. However, Roscosmos and NASA agreed in March 2015 to extend its operation until 2024. Russia announced in 2023 that it would postpone its completion until 2028, while the remaining countries participating in the project set 2030 as the final date for the station's completion.
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