NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman is eager to meet with his Russian counterpart and attend the upcoming Soyuz launch. He shared his plans during a recent news conference after the Crew-12 launch to the International Space Station on February 13. Isaacman aims to be there for the next crewed Soyuz launch this summer at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
“I definitely plan to attend. A good friend of mine is part of that mission, so it’s hard to imagine missing it,” he said. This mission, known as Soyuz MS-29, will carry NASA astronaut Anil Menon along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina to the ISS. Menon is married to Anna Menon, who flew with Isaacman on the Polaris Dawn mission in 2024.
If he goes through with his plans, Isaacman would be the first NASA administrator to attend a Soyuz launch since October 2018. Back then, Jim Bridenstine attended the launch of Soyuz MS-10, which faced an in-flight abort but landed safely.
That 2018 trip was significant. It marked the last direct meeting between NASA and Roscosmos leaders until last July. During that meeting, NASA’s acting administrator, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Bakanov discussed future collaborations, although those talks were constrained by U.S. sanctions following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Isaacman expressed his desire to meet with Bakanov as well. “We’re getting ready for a discussion with my counterpart soon,” he mentioned. His primary focus will be on maintaining cooperation on the ISS. “The space station will be operational for many years, and there’s a lot we need to achieve together,” he noted, emphasizing the need for ongoing talks.
After their July meeting, Bakanov hinted at expanding NASA-Roscosmos collaboration beyond the ISS. He had also invited Duffy to Moscow for discussions around the time of the Soyuz MS-28 launch, but that meeting didn’t happen. By that launch, Isaacman had been renominated as NASA’s administrator.
Interestingly, just days before discussing potential meetings with Roscosmos, Isaacman met with Josef Aschbacher, the leader of the European Space Agency (ESA). Their conversation revolved around NASA’s future plans, especially with the upcoming lunar missions. Isaacman stated, “ESA is a key partner for our lunar presence and missions beyond.”
As space exploration continues to evolve, cooperation among international space agencies remains crucial. With tensions between nations, dialogues like these are essential for ensuring progress in space science and technology. Recent surveys show that public interest in space missions is growing, with many people rallying behind collaborative efforts to explore deeper into the cosmos.
As nations navigate their relationships and challenges, space remains a frontier where collaboration can yield remarkable advancements, and both Isaacman and Bakanov recognize that potential.
For more insights on NASA’s current initiatives and future missions, you can visit the NASA website.
Source link
ESA,Jared Isaacman,Josef Aschbacher,NASA,Roscosmos,SN
