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Soyuz rockets are ready to send astronauts into space if the development of a delayed American spacecraft is delayed, Roscosmos said, after NASA announced plans to purchase additional seats aboard the Russian spacecraft.
"We are ready to help US partners in late testing of their new manned spacecraft", head of the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin m said on Twitter. "We agree with NASA's proposal to use American and Russian spacecraft to send mixed international crews to [International Space Station] ISS in the future. "
This news comes as a result of delays in NASA's commercial crew program, which has not yet developed and certified an American alternative to the Soyuz spacecraft that can transport astronauts to space since American soil. With the development of SpaceX's Crew Dragon and Boeing's Starliner development nearly two years after the initial deadline, NASA is taking no risks with US private aerospace manufacturers and is looking to buy two additional Soyuz seats in Roscosmos .
"This acquisition of Soyuz seats ensures uninterrupted access to the ISS in the event of delayed launches of commercial crews in the United States, thereby mitigating significant risks to the safety and operations of the ISS. that would cause the absence of American crew members at any time ", The NASA contract notice is indicated.
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The additional seats would allow American astronauts to have access to the station until September 2020. NASA relies on Russian assistance to access the space laboratory since it stopped its fleet of shuttles in 2011, by paying to Roscosmos approximately $ 81 million per seat.
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