Preparations for signing U.S.-Russia agreement on cross-flights to ISS at final stage - NASA

WASHINGTON. July 14 (Interfax) - The United States and Russia are close to signing an agreement on cross-flights to the International Space Station (ISS), Dana Weigel, deputy manager of the International Space Station Program, said.

"We're hopeful that we're pretty close to finalizing the agreement. It is in the final stages of review at both NASA and Roscosmos," she said at a press briefing on the upcoming SpaceX Cargo Dragon 2 flight to the ISS.

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio is being trained in Russia to fly to the ISS in fall on board Russia's Soyuz spaceship, Weigel said.

Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina is continuing to train for Crew 5 and Frank Rubio for Soyuz MS-22, she said.

She noted that the final date for signing the agreement is the end of next week. NASA would have to adjust the training process if the agreement is not signed.

Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin said on July 6 that Russia and the United States would sign the agreement on cross-flights to the ISS within a week or two.