Joint US-Russian Crew Arrives At Space Station Amid Tensions Over Ukraine

Two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut landed at the International Space Station on Friday after blasting off amid escalating tensions between Moscow and Washington over Ukraine.

Earlier Friday, Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub, as well as NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara, launched from Kazakhstan’s Baikonur cosmodrome aboard the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft.

Three hours later, the Russian space agency reported that the crew had docked at the ISS. The trio will join three Russians, two Americans, a Japanese astronaut, and a European Space Agency official at the orbiting station.

The launch followed the failure of Russia’s first lunar mission in nearly 50 years last month.

The International Space Station is a rare platform for cooperation between the United States and Russia, whose relations soured after Moscow launched its war in Ukraine last year.

During a pre-flight press conference on Thursday, Kononenko alluded to the difficulties, saying that unlike on Earth, cosmonauts and astronauts looked after each other in space.

“We hear each other there, we understand each other, and we are very sensitive to our relationships”, he explained. “We always take care of each other”, he concluded.

O’Hara lauded the station’s legacy and stated that it had brought the two countries together.

“I’m excited to get on board and see the crewmates who are waiting for us”, she continued.

Kononenko, 59, and Chub, 39, were supposed to spend a year on the ISS, while O’Hara, 40, was supposed to stay for six months. It was both O’Hara and Chub’s first space flight.

Chub stated that going to space was his childhood dream and that he had dedicated all his life to achieving it.

The three replace Russians Dmitry Petelin and Sergey Prokopyev, as well as NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, who spent a year on the International Space Station.

While the trio was meant to return in March, their mission had to be extended after their ship, the Soyuz MS-22, experienced a coolant leak as a result of damage from a suspected small meteoroid.

According to Roscosmos, they will now return to Earth on the MS-23.

As Western censure and sanctions over Moscow’s incursion in Ukraine grow, Russian President Vladimir Putin is aiming to strengthen space cooperation with China.

On Wednesday, Putin welcomed North Korea’s reclusive leader, Kim Jong Un, to the new Vostochny spaceport in Russia’s Far East region, where the two discussed the potential of launching a North Korean into space.

Last month, Russia’s Luna-25 module crashed on the Moon’s surface during pre-landing maneuvers, causing a great humiliation for Russia.

The mission was intended to demonstrate Russia’s return to independent lunar exploration in the face of financial difficulties and corruption scandals, as well as the country’s growing isolation from the West.

Moscow last landed a probe on the Moon in 1976, before diverting its focus to Venus missions and the construction of the Mir space station.

Also read: Moscow: No Agreement Signed During Kim Jong Un’s Visit