America spends more on Russian rents to bring people to space

US Agency for Aeronautics and Space (NASA) said on April 30, it will sign a new contract worth US $ 424 million to hire Russia to bring US astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).

AFP said the large amount of money included the cost of training and bringing six American astronauts to and from ISS in 2016 and the first half of 2017 with the Russian Soyuz spacecraft.

NASA is not able to finance rocket launches
American astronauts go to ISS and are forced to hire Russia - (Photo: Reuters)

The amount paid by NASA to the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) is equivalent to $ 70.6 million for a seat on the Soyuz vessel, an increase of more than $ 5.6 million from the old price.

Explaining why NASA has to hire Russia to bring people to space, NASA Director General Charles Bolden frankly said that the space agency should not have been forced to sign more contracts with Russia if the US Congress through the budget for a plan of President Barack Obama, allowing the government and private to work together in the space field.

"Because the budget for the president's plan has been significantly reduced, we can only fund US launch spacecraft launches in 2017," Bolden said.

The Soyuz is the only transport vehicle to transport astronauts to ISS since NASA's shuttle program ended in July 2011.

'While Russian colleagues at Roscosmos have good partners, it is unacceptable that our Americans are not able to bring our own astronauts to space' , NASA chief admires. .