ST. PETERSBURG, June 3. /TASS/. Russia’s State Space Corporation Roscosmos has something to offer NASA, if the United States is really interested in cooperation, Head of Russia’s State Space Corporation Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin told TASS on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Thursday.
"If we build relations, then I do not rule out the most interesting joint projects with the United States. We have some ideas and we can offer them," the Roscosmos chief said.
As Rogozin pointed out, this cooperation is possible, if the US "behaves like a gentleman, instead of stifling with one hand and patting with the other" because in this case Russia will focus on its national programs and will do all it financially can, based on its understanding of the benefits of cosmonautics, he stressed.
The Roscosmos chief said he would hold telephone negotiations with new NASA Head Bill Nelson in the coming days. "His first statements are encouraging. The man says wise things. I expect a contact with him very soon. At first, we are planning to talk with him over the phone in the coming days and then I expect his participation at the GLEX [Global Space Exploration Conference] that will take place in St. Petersburg from June 14 and we will talk together," he added.
The Roscosmos chief stressed that he did not understand how international cooperation could be built when Roscosmos enterprises, including leading companies cooperating with the United States were slapped with sanctions. In particular, the Progress Space Rocket Center and Roscosmos’ leading research institute TsNIIMash that runs Russia’s Flight Control Center have to operate in such conditions, he said.
"They either want sanctions and tougher relations and then there can hardly be the ISS and our support of these joint programs. Or, I am sure that the NASA leadership will confirm that they will struggle for preserving international space cooperation outside sanctions and try to influence the decisions, which have either been adopted or are being prepared against our enterprises," Rogozin said.
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) organized by the Roscongress Foundation is running on June 2-5. This year, the forum’s motto is: "Together Again. Economy of New Reality." Within the SPIEF format, the forums of small and medium business, Healthy Society, Drug Security and the SPIEF Junior special youth workshop will be held.
The SPIEF’21 forum is being held in the offline format with the observance of all the epidemiological safety measures. TASS is an information partner and the official photo hosting agency of the forum.