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NASA and Roscosmos Prolong Seat Barter for ISS Missions Through 2027
WASHINGTON, D.C. – NASA and Roscosmos have prolonged their seat exchange arrangement for journeys to the International Space Station (ISS) until 2027. This extended agreement will incorporate longer duration Soyuz missions to the orbital laboratory. This continuation of the integrated crew program ensures sustained US and Russian presence on the ISS.
Astronaut Chris Williams Assigned to Soyuz MS-28
NASA disclosed on April 3 the assignment of astronaut Chris Williams to the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft. This mission, slated for launch to the ISS in November, will include Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev. This declaration preceded the April 8 launch of astronaut Jonny Kim aboard Soyuz MS-27 to the ISS.
Integrated Crew Agreement Extended
The announcement of Williams’ flight assignment served as the initial public indication from NASA confirming the extension of their pact with Roscosmos for “integrated crews.” This agreement encompasses both Soyuz and commercial crew flights to the ISS. Under this no-funds-exchange barter system, NASA astronauts travel on Soyuz spacecraft, while Roscosmos cosmonauts utilize commercial crew vehicles. This reciprocal arrangement guarantees that at least one American and one Russian are present on the station, even if either Soyuz or commercial crew vehicles face grounding for an extended period.
Background of the Seat Barter Program
Last autumn, the future of the seat barter agreement appeared uncertain. Roscosmos had published crew assignments for the Soyuz MS-28 and MS-29 missions featuring only Russian cosmonauts. Bill Nelson, then NASA administrator, expressed expectation that the agreement would be prolonged “in due course,” but offered no specifics regarding the timeframe.
Reports in Russian media in January suggested the extension was finalized. However, NASA refrained from confirming at that time. Agency spokespersons informed SpaceNews that an update on the seat barter agreement would be provided “in the coming weeks.”
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Agreement Officially Confirmed Through 2027
Following the Williams announcement, NASA officially verified the extension of the integrated crew agreement with Roscosmos through 2027. “NASA and Roscosmos have amended the integrated crew agreement to accommodate a second set of integrated crew missions in 2025, one set of integrated crew missions in 2026, and a SpaceX Dragon flight in 2027,” a spokesperson conveyed to SpaceNews on April 9.
Longer Duration Soyuz Missions
One modification to the agreement pertains to the frequency of Soyuz missions. Previously, Roscosmos conducted Soyuz missions to the ISS every six months. However, missions commencing with Soyuz MS-27 will now have an eight-month duration at the station. NASA’s announcements concerning both Kim’s launch and Williams’ assignment both specified eight-month stays aboard the ISS.
Neither NASA nor Roscosmos has articulated a reason for this alteration. This change implies Roscosmos will conduct one less Soyuz mission over a two-year span: three instead of four. NASA is presently averaging commercial crew missions every six months, subject to some fluctuation due to visiting vehicles at the station.
Uncertainty Regarding Boeing Starliner Missions
Another unresolved aspect of the agreement concerns the possible inclusion of future Boeing Starliner commercial crew missions to the ISS. In May of last year, NASA officials indicated it was improbable Roscosmos would include a cosmonaut on Starliner-1, the initial crew rotation mission for that spacecraft. Roscosmos waited until 2022 to begin flying cosmonauts on Crew Dragon.
NASA has yet to officially schedule Starliner-1. Its launch has faced multiple postponements due to delays in the Crew Flight Test mission by the spacecraft and the ensuing investigation into issues encountered during that mission. Mike Fincke, an astronaut originally assigned to Starliner-1, was recently reassigned to the Crew-11 mission, scheduled to launch as soon as July aboard Crew Dragon.