Geopolitics Will Not Stop Space Cooperation
April 10—The ongoing geopolitical crises will not stop cooperation between the Russian Federation and the United States. Dmitry Bakanov, CEO of Russia’s Roscosmos State Space Corporation said he expects to meet the new Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Jared Isaacman in the summer. He made these statement as four NASA astronauts are returning from their Artemis II mission to successfully orbit the Moon.
“Manned spaceflights are not under sanctions, and it is clear why. It is a pragmatic approach; we can be useful to each other. We operate a colossal infrastructure called the International Space Station. And without Russia its operation is impossible now. And the question of what comes next, how this cooperation will continue, is indeed quite relevant. We are beginning discussions with the new NASA chief, Jared Isaacman, who was appointed quite recently, a couple of months ago. So far, we have only had a brief discussion via video conference, but we plan to meet in person in the summer,” Bakanov said in an interview with TASS Director General Andrey Kondrashov. “At that meeting, we will discuss the future prospects of our cooperation,” he added. Bakanov also noted that he had had a brief discussion also with the Aerospace Force in the U.S.
The interview was given ahead of the first ever Space Week, running in Russia from April 6-12, to mark the 65th anniversary of the heroic space flight of Yury Gagarin.
Emphasizing the Russian cultural imperative of pursuing space exploration, Bakanov said, “We have no choice. And we should not lose ground, because it has been inscribed in our cultural code and in our souls over the past few generations that we should be in the lead, and that no benchmarks should prevent Russia from dynamically developing this sphere, because it brings colossal good to the population.”
In reference to the announcement in December 2025 by Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov that Russia had approved that the same 51.6° orbital inclination now being used by the International Space Station would be also used for the future Russian Orbital Station (ROS) rather than the originally planned polar orbit. It would allow them to use the Russian module from the ISS for the Russian Orbital Station. The concrete plans are still under consideration.
Bakanov said the U.S. and India will also be using this inclination for their new space stations. He noted that the ROS “must be as automated as possible, capable of operating without humans, because the next time we deploy this infrastructure to the Moon, we can’t risk human lives. It must either be manned by some kind of robot or it must be self-service.” Once the technologies are proven, he said, and human life is no longer in danger, we will gradually begin populating it with people. The first module of the ROS is scheduled to be launched in 2028.
“It [the 51.6° orbital inclination—TASS] opens up significant opportunities for international cooperation, because our Indian partners are designing stations for this orbit under the Gaganyaan program, and my American colleagues are also, as I understand it, considering this inclination. That is, in the near future, it may well be that there will be several stations at this inclination that could interact with each other through cross-flights, approaching, docking, and undocking,” he said.
“Further on, as you know, there is a trend toward multi-planetary exploration, and it will be necessary to build infrastructure on other celestial bodies. Of course, there is much discussion online about Mars and more distant planets. But in any case, most likely, all technologies will first have to be tested on the nearest one, the Moon,” Bakanov said.
“Cooperation in space should have no boundaries if the goal is noble—helping people,” the state space corporation head said. This cooperation, he added, extends to the member states of the BRICS as well.