--- title: "Awkwardly, Russian Cosmonaut Still Scheduled for Space Station Launch With NASA Astronauts" description: "Astro Swap In spite of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the US is still planning to fly at least one cosmonaut to the International Space Station on a SpaceX rocket — that is, if Roscosmos agrees to do the same. As Ars Technica reports, NASA is still gung-ho about the September astronaut swap with Roscosmos, which is […]" date: "2022-06-02" modified: "2022-06-02" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/russian-cosmonaut-spacex-carpool" categories: - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "international space station" - "NASA" - "Roscosmos" - "Russia" - "the digest" - "ukraine" --- # Awkwardly, Russian Cosmonaut Still Scheduled for Space Station Launch With NASA Astronauts ![NASA is still planning to fly at least one cosmonaut to the International Space Station on a SpaceX rocket — if Roscosmos agrees to do the same.]() *\Image: Roscosmos\* ## Seat Swap In spite of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the US is still planning to fly at least one cosmonaut to the International Space Station on a SpaceX rocket — if, that is, Roscosmos is still on board. As [*Ars Technica* reports](), NASA is still gung-ho about its scheduled September astronaut swap with Russian space agency Roscosmos. According to the plan, cosmonaut Anna Kikina will fly to the ISS on a SpaceX Crew Dragon, while American astronaut Frank Rubio will get a lift in exchange in a Soyuz spacecraft. ISS Program Manager Joel Montalbano told *Ars* that between now and then, however, there will be an extended "process" to get them there. "Roscosmos needs to get agreement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," Montalbano said, "and then they go to their Prime Minister. After that, the agreement comes to the US State Department for approval." Nevertheless, the ISS program manager said that he's "pushing" to make it happen to keep US-Russia space peace alive, "but we'll have to see" how it shakes out. https://twitter.com/SciGuySpace/status/1506656109221888003 ## No Marooning In March, amid [rumors that he was going to be marooned on the ISS]() by the Russians, American astronaut Mark Vande Hei [hitched a ride back to Earth with cosmonauts]() aboard a Soyuz capsule as scheduled with no apparent issues. "I laughed when I heard about it," [*Vande Hei told the Washington Post* ]()in a May interview. "I said, 'Oh, there’s no way.'" All the same, his return home was, at the time, considered "the last time Americans and Russians fly together in space for a long time," as [*NASASpaceFlight* editor Chris Berger tweeted]() when the astronaut was successfully launched back home. For now, it looks like ISS program manager Montalbano is right — we really will just have to wait and see what happens next. **READ MORE:** [NASA still “pushing” for a Russian cosmonaut to fly on next SpaceX mission]() \[*Ars Technica*\] **More on the US-Russian space relationship:** *[Things Apparently Got Awkward During Movie Night on the Space Station]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()