Saint-Petersburg. June 3. INTERFAX-Russia and Saudi Arabia are discussing a joint manned space mission and cosmonaut training, but there is no contract yet, Sergei Krikalev, executive director of the state Corporation for Manned Programs, told Interfax.
"Not yet. The negotiations are proceeding in general terms, " Krikalev said on the sidelines of SPIEF 2021.
He could not specify when the astronauts from Saudi Arabia can go to the ISS.
On May 25, the Russian-Saudi intergovernmental commission on trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation was held under the chairmanship of Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman.
"Speaking about the work of the two countries on the joint use of outer space, Alexander Novak noted the prospects of the ongoing work, in particular, on the training of astronauts and the development of a joint space manned mission," the press service of the government quoted Novak's speech on that day.
In 2015, Roscosmos and the King Abdulaziz Center for Science and Technology signed a statement of intent on the exploration and use of space for peaceful purposes.
According to Igor Komarov, who headed the state corporation at the time, the parties discussed "cooperation and further development of relations, assistance in the implementation of projects of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on launch services and manned space exploration, scientific missions and navigation systems."
In October 2017, following a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, an agreement on cooperation in the exploration of outer space for peaceful purposes was signed.
As noted in the agreement, the countries agreed on possible cooperation in the field of manned flights and training of astronauts, the development of spacecraft, scientific research of outer space, etc.
In November 2019, the head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, announced negotiations to send a Saudi cosmonaut into orbit. He said that substantive negotiations with Saudi Arabia will begin after the creation of a space agency in that country at the end of the year instead of the committee.
