CAPE CANAVERAL /State of Florida/, August 1. /TASS/. Roscosmos and NASA must maintain communication even during the most challenging periods to ensure effective cooperation on joint projects, Russian State Space Corporation Director General Dmitry Bakanov told Russian journalists following a meeting with US Secretary of Transportation and acting head of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Shawn Duffy during his visit to the United States.
"It is always important to stay in touch, even during the most difficult times. Direct communication facilitates decision-making. Let me reiterate, you understand that in times like these, not everyone may be eagerly waiting for us somewhere," he said.
"[Duffy - TASS] himself expressed a desire to meet periodically to ensure our projects do not stall but continue to progress," the Roscosmos chief added.
Bakanov noted that at the technical level, specialists from both countries maintain normal working relations. "How could anyone in the US treat Russian astronauts? We are a single team. Just as we treat their astronauts who come to Baikonur and Moscow for training, they treat ours the same way, I believe. Both [Russian astronaut] Oleg Platonov and our other specialists training here are satisfied, relations are normal," he shared.
"At the technical level, there are no issues. During this visit, we toured SpaceX and Boeing facilities and held discussions with their leadership on potential cooperation," Bakanov concluded.