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Russian cosmonauts pass Progress-MS remote piloting test

The examination committee of the Yu. A. Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center praised the actions of Anna Kikina and Andrey Fedyaev

MOSCOW, July 17. /TASS/. Russian cosmonauts Anna Kikina and Andrey Fedyaev have passed the test for steering the Progress-MS space freighter in the remote mode in Russia’s Gagarin Cosmonaut Training center, the center said in its Telegram channel.

"Today, Anna Kikina and Andrey Fedyaev passed a test to demonstrate their skills of steering the Progress-MS cargo spacecraft remotely, from the International Space Station and all its docking ports," the statement says. "The cosmonauts received high marks from the board of examiners."

Earlier, Russia’s state-run space corporation Roscosmos announced the signing of an agreement with NASA on swap-seat flights to the ISS. Anna Kikina will fly to the ISS aboard the US Crew Dragon spacecraft this fall, while Fedyaev’s mission will begin in spring 2023.

Progress-MS is a Russian space freighter designed specifically for servicing orbital stations. It is used for deliveries of various cargoes to the ISS, including fuel, scientific equipment, oxygen, water and food, as well as for adjusting the station’s orbit.

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European Commission, Slovakia to create working group for solving gas problems

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