NASA will provide the Russian segment of the International Space Station with energy generated by American solar generators, Roscosmos said Thursday. Russia cannot deliver its own energy module to the orbital station due to a significant reduction in the number of U.S. space shuttle flights.
The module was originally intended to be delivered to the station via the shuttle, but NASA's reduced schedule in the wake of the 2003 Columbia disaster has eliminated that possibility.
"The Russian segment will receive energy from the American solar generators to compensate the modification of the Russian program," said Alexei Krasnov, the head of the Roscosmos manned flights program. He also confirmed that NASA would pay for the delivery of a U.S. astronaut to the station via a Russian spacecraft next fall.
"In the fall of 2006, an American astronaut will fly to the ISS on board the Soyuz spacecraft, and NASA will pay for these services," Krasnov said. He added that all preliminary contracts on the delivery of space tourists to the station have remained in force.
Roscosmos officials said last April the agency had signed contracts with Japanese businessman Daisuke "Dice-K" Enomoto, who will fly to the station with the next crew, and with former Microsoft developer Charles Simonyi, who will fly next spring.
Russia also has agreed to fly the first South Korean astronaut to the station in the spring of 2008.
