Nelson: NASA’s relationship with Russia is ‘steady’

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson on Friday said NASA’s professional relationship with Russia has been “steady” amidst the war in Ukraine.

“The professional relationship in the civilian space program between the cosmonauts and the astronauts, it is just steady,” Nelson said in an interview with CNN. “Very professional.”

The comments come more than a month into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that has severely strained relationships between Washington and Moscow. Russia previously threatened to not give rocket engines to the U.S. for flights. 

“Remember, this has been going on for a very long time. Remember, we started in the midst of the Cold War with the Soviet Union,” Nelson said, adding the Ukraine war won’t change the relationship.

CNN’s Jim Sciutto asked Nelson if he believes the relationship should change given the atrocities Russia is accused of committing in Ukraine.

“Well, that’s Vladimir Putin. That’s the Russian military. That’s not the civilian space program,” Nelson said. 

Other international space programs have severed some ties with Russia due to the war, including the European Space Agency. 

The European Space Agency canceled plans that were set to put a rover on Mars with the cooperation of Russia.

The interview came the same day NASA is launching the first-ever all-private astronaut mission to the International Space Station.