Russia and Saudi Arabia planning joint space mission
Russia and Saudi Arabia are preparing for a joint manned space mission, the former’s government confirmed today, in another sign of warmer relations between the two countries.
In a statement, the Kremlin said that Saudi astronauts were being trained in Russia while the mission is developed.
“Speaking of the two countries’ work on the joint use of outer space, [deputy prime minister] Alexander Novak said the work under way was promising, in particular on the training of cosmonauts and the development of a joint manned space mission,” the government said after an online meeting of the two countries.
Relations between the two have so far been mainly concentrated in the energy market, with both nations energy producing superpowers.
These have not been without issue, however. Last year former US President Donald Trump had to intercede to get the two to agree to production curbs after oil prices crashed.
The government statement provided no further details.
Russia is ready to start building its own space station with the aim of launching it into orbit by 2030 if President Vladimir Putin gives the go-ahead, Roscosmos space agency said in April.
The project would mark a new chapter for Russian space exploration and an end to more than two decades of close cooperation with the United States aboard the aging International Space Station.