The training will take place at the Lyndon Johnson Space Center in Houston
NEW YORK, January 27. /tass/. The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is pleased to welcome Russian cosmonauts to participate in training at the Lyndon Johnson Space Center in Houston (Texas). A representative of the department said this on Thursday in response to a request from TASS, commenting on the recent difficulties with issuing an American visa to Russian Nikolai Chub.
"NASA is looking forward to receiving astronauts from among our international partners to participate in the planned training at the Lyndon Johnson Space Center," the statement said.
On January 22, Roscosmos reported that the safety of Chub's stay on the International Space Station (ISS) during the planned flight in 2023 was called into question due to the US refusal to issue him a visa. According to the state corporation, the cosmonaut needs a visa for the first five-week session in order to get acquainted with the American segment of the station.
On Monday, the press service of Roscosmos informed that Chub was issued a US visa. Dmitry Rogozin, Director General of Roscosmos, said that the only woman in the cosmonaut squad, Anna Kikina, who will be the first participant in cross-flights from the Russian Federation, also received an American visa.
Usually, before the flight, astronauts from other countries undergo training at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, mastering the Russian segment of the ISS, and Russian cosmonauts - at the Lyndon Johnson Space Center in Houston, where they get acquainted with the American segment. The training takes place regardless of which ship the crew members are flying on.
Chub is part of the backup crew of the ISS-68 expedition, which is scheduled to fly on the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft in September this year. He is also part of the main crew of the ISS-69 expedition, whose flight on Soyuz MS-23 is scheduled for spring next year.
