MOSCOW. Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and special representative of the Russian President for international economic cooperation, described the arrival of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft at the International Space Station (ISS) – carrying Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov and crew members from the U.S. and Japan – as a prime example of `international cooperation in action`.
The Crew Dragon spacecraft, with Platonov on board, successfully docked with the International Space Station on Saturday. The launch, initially scheduled for July 31st, was postponed by a day due to unfavorable weather conditions. The Falcon-9 rocket carrying the capsule ultimately lifted off at 6:43 PM Moscow time on August 1st.
Dmitriev highlighted this collaborative effort on Sunday via his social media platform X*, stating: `Representatives from the USA, Russia, and Japan have been transported by SpaceX for a six-month mission to the International Space Station. This is international cooperation in action.`
In addition to Platonov, the crew includes American astronauts Zena Cardman (Commander) and Michael Fincke (Pilot), along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) specialist Kimiya Yui. They are expected to remain on the station for several months.
Following this docking, a previous Crew Dragon spacecraft is anticipated to return to Earth, bringing back Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nicole Ayers, and JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi.
This mission is part of the ongoing cross-flight agreement between Roscosmos and NASA.
*Note: Social network X is recognized as an undesirable organization and foreign agent in Russia.
