Share

Russia to end US space station rides in April, pressuring NASA

Russia’s contract to supply Soyuz ferry rides for NASA astronauts to the International Space Station ends in April, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov told reporters on Friday.

The expiration piles additional pressure on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to restore its own capability to shuttle US crew members back and forth to the orbiting lab. The space agency is contracting with Boeing and SpaceX to develop new vehicles to transport astronauts, but the work has been plagued by delays.

NASA has relied on Russia since retirement of the space shuttle in 2011 ended US-controlled access to the space station. Congress and President Donald Trump’s administration have touted the commercial program’s importance to ending that reliance, especially as diplomatic relations between the nations have deteriorated.

A Soyuz flight planned for April 2019 “will complete the fulfillment of our obligations under a contract with NASA related to the delivery of US astronauts to the ISS and their return from the station,” Borisov said at the Energia Rocket and Space Corporation, as reported by TASS, Russia’s official news agency.

$6.8bn contract

In September 2014, NASA awarded Boeing and Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corporation a combined $6.8bn to revive the US’s ability to fly to the station. SpaceX plans to fly Demo-2, its first test flight with a crew, in April 2019, while Boeing’s Crew Test Flight is now slated for mid-2019, according to a new schedule that NASA released August 2.

Both dates are later than the companies had been targeting. The first Boeing and SpaceX test flights without a crew could occur later this year, according to NASA’s most recent flight schedule.

Russia is expected to provide rides for astronauts through November 2019, which is the planned return date for a Soyuz capsule from the space station, according to a July report to Congress from the Government Accountability Office.

“Obtaining additional Soyuz seats seems unlikely, as the process for manufacturing the spacecraft and contracting for those seats typically takes three years - meaning additional seats would not be available before 2021,” the report said.

$81m seats

Russia charges NASA about $81m per seat on the Soyuz to fly astronauts to and from the station. NASA signed an agreement in early 2017 to acquire additional Soyuz seats into 2019, although no further contracts involving the Russian craft have been announced.

NASA officials have declined to say whether the agency has discussed procuring additional Soyuz spots with Russian officials.

“As part of its normal operations planning, NASA is continuing to assess multiple scenarios to ensure continued US access to the International Space Station,” NASA spokeswoman Stephanie Schierholz said in an email.

* Sign up to Fin24's top news in your inbox: SUBSCRIBE TO FIN24 NEWSLETTER

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.97
-0.3%
Rand - Pound
23.97
-0.3%
Rand - Euro
20.51
-0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.36
-0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.4%
Platinum
906.75
+1.1%
Palladium
1,015.63
+1.4%
Gold
2,208.55
+0.6%
Silver
24.60
-0.2%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,222
+0.8%
All Share
74,420
+0.7%
Resource 10
56,938
+2.3%
Industrial 25
103,869
+0.6%
Financial 15
16,500
-0.2%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders