NASA Strikes $44 Million Deal For Soyuz Flights

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WASHINGTON- NASA will pay the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos) $21.8 millionper passenger for Soyuz rides to and from the International Space Station (ISS)starting this spring.

NASAspokeswoman Melissa Mathews said Jan. 5 that the U.S. space agency and itsRussian counterpart concluded a $43.8 million deal just before New Year's Daythat includes Soyuz transportation to and from the space station for NASA'snewly named Expedition 13 crew member, Jeff Williams, and a ride home forastronaut BillMcArthur, who has been living onboard the station since October.

Under thedeal, Russia also will provide what Mathews described as "a small amount" ofcargo space aboard a Progressresupply ship slated to launch to the station later this year and initial Soyuztraining for NASA's Expedition 14 crew member. That astronaut will head to the stationthis autumn aboard a Soyuz if the space shuttle is not back in service by then.

Mathewsdescribed the new agreement as a short term extension of an existing contractNASA signed with the Russian space agency before the Iran Nonproliferation Actbecame law in 2000. That act barred NASA from paying Russiafor any space station-related goods and services as long as Russia continues tohelp Iran acquire missiles and other advanced weaponry.

While NASAhas only contracted for six months of services at this point, Mathews saidRussia has agreed to honor the $21.8 million per seat price through 2011.

Brian Berger
Editor-in-Chief, SpaceNews

Brian Berger is the Editor-in-Chief of SpaceNews, a bi-weekly space industry news magazine, and SpaceNews.com. He joined SpaceNews covering NASA in 1998 and was named Senior Staff Writer in 2004 before becoming Deputy Editor in 2008. Brian's reporting on NASA's 2003 Columbia space shuttle accident and received the Communications Award from the National Space Club Huntsville Chapter in 2019. Brian received a bachelor's degree in magazine production and editing from Ohio University's E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.