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US to pay annually RF 450 mln dollars for delivery of astronauts to ISS

NASA signed contracts with Roskosmos (Russian Space Agency), for the time being, till the spring of 2016

WASHINGTON, March 9 (Itar-Tass) — The US will be forced to use Russian services to deliver its astronauts to the International Space Station, paying for this 450 million dollars annually, said NASA director Charles Bolden at hearings in the US House of Representatives.

The US will have a chance to send an American crew to the ISS without Russia’s aid only in 2017, the head of the US space agency said. According to Bolden, this situation has emerged over unlucky planning in previous years, and now it should be undone.

The US gave up the use of shuttles, the last of which made a flight last summer, and is developing a new spacecraft and a heavy carrier. True, Bolden said earlier that the US can make the first flight in 2017 without a crew and with a crew only in 2021.

NASA signed contracts with Roskosmos (Russian Space Agency), for the time being, till the spring of 2016. The draft budget of the US space agency for the next fiscal year notes that six seats for American astronauts were reserved at four Soyuz spacecraft in 2013. If NASA has no such spaceships after 2016, it will have to purchase such services from Russia.

“I’m going to pay the Russians $450 million a year for every year that I don’t have an American capability to put humans into low-Earth orbit,” Bolden said in an emotional enough speech at the Congress. He added that “I know you don’t want to do that … but that’s the price I pay,” he stressed addressing legislators.

NASA supposes to spend 1.3 billion dollars in 2013 for bringing astronauts and cargoes to the station and three billion for the ISS programme as a whole.

The budget of the US space agency is to shrink the next fiscal year and will total 17.7 billion dollars. The saving of state funds in connection with the economic crisis will tell most of all on NASA research programmes, including explorations of the moon and Mars.

At the same time, it is planned to boost substantially appropriations for the development of American spacecraft so as to wipe out in future the dependence on Russia on the delivery of crews to the ISS.

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Scholz asks allies to find additional air defense capabilities for Ukraine

Germany is the second largest arms supplier to Ukraine after the US

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Moscow reports 1,773 daily coronavirus hospitalizations

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Network of international conspirators plotted Crocus terrorist attack — watchdog

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The Russian leader pointed out that it is important to ensure stability and transparency in the Russian socio-political system

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Medvedev warns that Russia’s default may entail Europe’s default

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Russian defense minister dismisses his deputy Ivanov

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Kremlin spokesman describes European Parliament as 'Russophobic machine'

Dmitry Peskov added that the EP "has turned into a machine brimming with internal contradictions that keeps generating boorish statements"

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US stops hiding true purpose of sanctions on Moscow, Russian envoy says

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Erdogan moves back from May 9 his trip to US — report

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According to the news agency Tasnim, when speaking about NATO eastward expansion, Mohammad Reza Ashtiani emphasized that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states should utilize the SCO potential in order to neutralize common threats

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Abu Ubaida, a spokesman for the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, said the brigades had completely or partially destroyed 135 units of Israeli military equipment over the past three days

Alrosa may leave Catoca project in Angola — Finance Ministry

Alrosa is working in Angola since 1992

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TotalEnergies expects gas price hike if Russian LNG falls under sanctions

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Ukraine turns into testing ground for future world order, says Belarus president

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Crocus City Hall attack funded using cryptocurrency, Russian finance watchdog says

Russia’s Federal Financial Monitoring Service head added that the act of terrorism was intricately planned and it took an international network of conspirators to carry it out

Shoigu talks about ties with NATO, attacks on Zaporozhye NPP as he attends SCO meeting

TASS has put together the highlights of Shoigu's speech

Zelensky's presidential powers to expire May 21 — Ukrainian legislator

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West battlegroup destroys two Ukrainian drones, hit over 170 Ukrainian army’s facilities

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Russian Economy Ministry expects trade balance surplus to decline

Exports of goods are expected to drop to $419.7 bln this year. Imports are forecast to grow to $315.7 bln in 2024

Russia’s natural population decline shrinks by 24% yoy in January-August — statistics

The Federal Statistics Service noted that mortality in the eight months of 2023 decreased by 9.8%, and the birth rate dropped by 2.5%

Russia grateful to DPRK for unconditional support of special operation in Ukraine — MFA

Ivan Zhelokhovtsev said that the agreements that were reached during the DPRK leader's visit to Russia represent "evidence of the mutual desire of the sides to consistently implement and expand the rich heritage" that was passed down from previous generations

Iran announces establishment of Basij voluntary naval force

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Space station’s orbit raised by 1 km — Roscosmos

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Europe should be prepared to build relations with Russia post-Ukraine conflict — Macron

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Blinken’s visit to China meant to shatter Russian-Chinese ties — senior Russian diplomat

"I think that Beijing understands this perfectly well and will not even pretend being ready to reach any agreements with the Americans to the detriment of Russia’s interests," Sergey Ryabkov said

US’ Blinken to visit Israel amid rising tensions between two countries — NYT

Israel’s military upcoming operation in Rafah will also be on agenda, the New York Times reported

Swiss conference on Ukraine undermines European security — Russian diplomat

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Cooperation of Serbia, Russia in military-technical sphere at highest level — president

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Erdogan’s May 9 visit to US postponed to more convenient date — Foreign Ministry

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Moscow slams NATO drills near Russian borders as inflammatory

"It is obvious that the upcoming combat training on the territory of Finland is part of a hybrid war against our country," Maria Zakharova said

French neo-Nazi ringleader liquidated near Avdeyevka — sources

There is confirmed evidence of his connections with French secret services

Wreckage of US MQ-9 Reaper drone is of interest to Russian defense industry — Rostec

According to the US version of events, a pair of Russian Su-27 aircraft intercepted the MQ-9 while it was on a recon mission and dumped their fuel several times toward the drone

Hungary sees Ukraine conflict entering new phase, NATO involvement rising

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Miguel Salgado’s ‘Shame’ wins main prize at Moscow International Film Festival

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About 20% of weapons sent to Kiev end up on black market – Russia’s UN mission

Dmitry Polyansky said that some of the weapons supplied to Kiev are "in the darknet, which means that it is available to anyone"

Bank of Russia ready to keep high key rate as long as needed to bring inflation to target

As Elvira Nabiullina stressed, the decisions taken last year to increase the key rate made it possible to significantly reduce persistent inflationary pressure

Kiev's attacks on ZNPP may trigger another Chernobyl — Zaporozhye governor

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Top stories from the Russian press on Wednesday, April 24th

Russia's response to seizure of frozen assets in US to have no timeframe — chief delegate

Konstantin Gavrilov emphasized that the US will have to be brought to account for this decision

Kiev may use ATACMS missiles to hit Crimean Bridge — Russian defense ministry official

Russian military will do its utmost to repel such attacks, Apty Alaudinov said

Negative trends still on rise in US-China relations — top Chinese diplomat

The United States should not cross the red lines with regard to China’s sovereignty and security, Wang Yi added

Ship receives damage in missile attack off Yemeni coast — UKMTO

The Master has reported two attacks

Musk concurs that civil war looming in West

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Abrams tanks easy targets for drones — Russian expert

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Russia warns US, NATO against harming its security — diplomat

Maria Zakharova stressed that "the level of nuclear risks have risen dramatically as a result of the West’s destructive policy, which is fraught with a direct military confrontation between nuclear powers"