NASA Astronaut Explains Why U.S.-Russia Tensions Won't Derail Joint Mission

A U.S. astronaut on the verge of embarking on his first trip into outer space alongside two Russian cosmonauts said Monday that the trip is crucial to future relations between both nations.

Frank Rubio, of Miami, was originally selected by NASA to join the 2017 Astronaut Candidate Class. Prior to receiving his Doctorate of Medicine from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, he flew more than 600 hours' worth of combat missions in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq as a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter pilot. He said his September 21 launch to the International Space Station alongside Roscosmos (Russian) cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin is "an incredibly important mission."

"Our partnership between NASA and Roscosmos has been ongoing for a long time, and it's really been a good and strong relationship and I think this cruise op represents the ongoing effort of tremendous teams on both sides and amazing people that make this happen," Rubio said during a media conference call. "I think it's important when we're at moments of possible tension elsewhere that human space flight and exploration—something both agencies are passionate about—that that remains a form of diplomacy and partnership where we can find common ground and keep achieving great things together."

The three astronauts part of the Expedition 68 station crew will fly aboard the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft, launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

"NASA continues to maintain a working relationship with its space agency counterparts to ensure the safety of the astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station and ongoing safe operation," NASA spokesperson Joshua Finch told Newsweek via email, referencing a joint statement made July 29 by the International Space Station Multilateral Coordination Board expressing continued partnership "beyond 2024."

Much has changed in the aerospace relationship between the U.S. and Russia since the latter invaded Ukraine. On February 28, just four days after the still ongoing conflict began, Space.com reported that NASA's associate administrator for space operations Kathy Lueders said she expected both countries to continue to work together as a joint unit even while understanding "the global situation where it is."

"That said, we always look for how do we get more operational flexibility [with] our cargo providers, and are looking at how do we add different capabilities," Lueder said at the time, adding at the time that there was no indication "at a working level that our counterparts are not committed to ongoing operation International Space Station."

In a separate conference call, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said mission controls in Moscow and Houston had remained congenial and pledged to continue to work together.

That slowly changed, however, prompted by three Russian cosmonauts holding flags associated with the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic and Donetsk People's Republic, as reported by Space News in July.

"NASA strongly rebukes Russia using the International Space Station for political purposes to support its war against Ukraine, which is fundamentally inconsistent with the station's primary function among the 15 international participating countries to advance science and develop technology for peaceful purposes," NASA said in a statement following the photo.

In July, Russian officials announced the country's intention to depart the ISS in 2024 after fulfilling its commitments, with one official who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin saying the decision was "made." NASA at that juncture said it received no official statement from Moscow.

In mid-August Roscosmos unveiled a new orbital station that further exemplified its commitment to exit the ISS.

Update: 08/25/22 12:25 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from NASA spokesperson Joshua Finch.