NASA is continuing negotiations with Roscosmos to purchase additional space on the ship "Union" to send one astronaut to the ISS in the fall of 2020, said Friday the head of Department Jim Breidenstein.
"To ensure safe operation of the ISS due to the continuous presence of the Americans before will be provided opportunities for regular flights, NASA is negotiating with the state Corporation "Roskosmos" about the purchase of an additional seat on "Union" to start the upcoming fall" – said in a NASA statement Bridenstine.
Earlier it was reported about the possibility of US two additional seats on the Russian "Unions". So, in December 2019, the General Director of the Russian space Agency, Dmitry Rogozin, said the decision to provide NASA in one place on ships "Union MS-17" with the start in October 2020 and "Union MS-18" with the start in April 2021. This will allow the Agency to ensure that the stay at the ISS as at least one American astronaut until October 2021 for delays in the launches of the new American manned spacecraft. In February 2020, Rogozin said that the contract with NASA to purchase seats in vehicles "Union" could be signed in April.
In 2011, was decommissioned by the American reusable manned space transportation system Space Shuttle. After that, the crew delivered to the ISS only Russian ships "Union". In the United States to send astronauts to the station developed a new manned spacecraft: Crew Dragon company SpaceX, Cockpit – Boeing. The first test manned flight of the Crew Dragon to ISS is planned on may 27.
