NASA has approved the extension of the agreement with Roscosmos on joint flights to the International Space Station (ISS), spokesman Joshua Finch told TASS.
"To ensure the continued safe operation of the International Space Station, protect the lives of astronauts and ensure a continuous US presence in space, NASA and the Russian state space corporation Roscosmos have agreed to continue with combined crews on the US crew and Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Integrated crew flying ensures that there are properly trained crew members aboard the space station for essential maintenance and spacewalks," the spokesperson emphasized.
He also referred to the possibility of decommissioning the ISS in 2031 or 2032, noting that there are no technical problems that would prevent the station from operating beyond 2030.