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A NASA administrator has reaffirmed ties to Russia's space agency, even though one partner has a tendency to "spout off" regarding the Russian invasion into Ukraine.
In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press on Friday, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson walked back comments made by director general of Roscosmos, Dimitry Rogozin. Newsweek previously reported that Rogozin said that the United States would be forced to use broomsticks to fly to space after its sanctions impacted the sale of rocket engines.
"In this situation, we can no longer supply the U.S. with our rocket engines that are the best in the world," said the Russian space chief at the time. "Let them fly on something else, like their brooms, or whatever, but at least we are freezing our shipments."
"That's just Dmitry Rogozin. He spouts off every now and then. But at the end of the day, he's worked with us," assured Nelson.
When shifting gears towards other Roscosmos associates, Nelson only had positive things to say, by adding, "The other people that work in the Russian civilian space program, they're professional. They don't miss a beat with us, American astronauts and American mission control."
His interview with the AP occurred in the lead-up to three Russian cosmonauts launching from Kazakhstan to the International Space Station (ISS) in the country's first space launch since the invasion. Furthermore, American astronaut Mark Vande Hei is expected to return to Earth in Kazakhstan aboard a Russian space capsule on March 30.
Rogozin's initial comments came after a series of intense sanctions were placed upon Russia by the U.S. and the European Union, heightening tensions between Russia and the West. They also came after Roscosmos suspended ties with the European Space Agency, leaving some to wonder if NASA could be next after Rogozin sparred with retired astronaut Scott Kelly over the conflict.
"We need an example set that two countries that historically have not been on the most friendly of terms, can still work somewhere peacefully," Kelly told the AP earlier this month, "and that somewhere is the International Space Station. That's why we need to fight to keep it."
Nelson appears to be upholding Kelly's plea by telling the AP that NASA still maintains a friendly relationship with Roscosmos and vice versa.
"Despite all of that, up in space, we can have a cooperation with our Russian friends, our colleagues," he explained. "The professional relationship between astronauts and cosmonauts, it hasn't missed a beat. This is the cooperation we have going on in the civilian space program."
Update at 3/18/22, 3:50 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information.
