Putin Envoy Hails US-Russia Space Cooperation as Russian Rocket Launches with US Astronaut

On April 8, 2025, a Russian Soyuz MS-27 rocket blasted off from Kazakhstan’s Baikonur Cosmodrome, carrying Russian cosmonauts Sergei Ryzhikov and Alexei Zubritsky along with NASA astronaut Jonathan Kim to the International Space Station (ISS). This mission represents a renewed era of US-Russia collaboration in space exploration despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and sanctions related to the war in Ukraine.

Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy, highlighted the launch as a continuation of the historic 1975 Apollo-Soyuz mission and expressed optimism about future joint endeavors. Plans discussed included potential partnerships in Arctic investments, a Russian nuclear power supply for Elon Musk’s Mars mission, and Russia’s move to establish an independent space station with new modules expected by 2027, even as the ISS nears the end of its service life.