Roscosmos Says Ready To Provide Crew Rescue Means For Lunar Orbital Station Gateway

Russia is ready to provide a backup support and rescue means for a crew of the US-led international Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway project, Roscosmos Deputy Director-General Sergey Savelyev told Sputnik on Tuesday

LE BOURGET (UrduPoint News / Sputnik -) Russia is ready to provide a backup support and rescue means for a crew of the US-led international Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway project, Roscosmos Deputy Director-General Sergey Savelyev told Sputnik on Tuesday.

“We have not yet made a final decision on the level and extent of our participation in the project of creating Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway. However, upon the completion of tests of a new spacecraft and super heavy launch vehicle, we are ready to support the project � at least, through providing a backup means of support and rescue of the crew,” Savelyev said.

Earlier, Roscosmos chief Dimitry Rogozin said that Russia was ready to participate in the project only on an equal footing with the United States. He also noted that Moscow had many questions to Washington about the program’s format, including its time frame and architecture.

As part of its new lunar program, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration is developing the idea of creating Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway from which spacecraft can shuttle to the moon‘s surface. NASA emphasizes that Gateway is an international project and will be implemented with the involvement of commercial companies