MOSCOW – Dmitry Bakanov, the Director General of Roscosmos, has arrived in the United States. During his visit, he is scheduled to meet with the leadership of NASA and the crew of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, which includes Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. This information was confirmed by the state corporation`s press service.
According to the official statement, Dmitry Bakanov landed in Houston at the head of a Roscosmos delegation for discussions with NASA officials. This visit marks the first in-person meeting between the heads of the Russian and U.S. space agencies in eight years, highlighting a renewed direct dialogue in space cooperation.
The itinerary for the Roscosmos chief includes a tour of the Johnson Space Center`s facilities alongside NASA leadership, providing an opportunity to familiarize himself with their operations. Furthermore, the Russian delegation plans to visit Boeing`s production unit, where the reusable piloted transport spacecraft CST-100 Starliner is under development, and will engage in negotiations with the company`s space program management.
A significant part of Bakanov`s visit involves meeting with the Crew Dragon spacecraft`s crew ahead of the Crew-11 mission launch, which is set for July 31. This mission is notable as Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov is part of this crew under the cross-flight program, making it his inaugural journey into space.
Concluding his engagements, the head of the state corporation will participate in readiness review activities at the John F. Kennedy Space Center for the upcoming mission launch to the International Space Station (ISS).
