Roscosmos allows for resuming flights of European astronauts to ISS by Soyuz spaceships

MOSCOW. Dec 26 (Interfax) - European astronauts may again start flying to the International Space Station (ISS) by Russia's Soyuz spaceships yet the decision will be made by NASA, Roscosmos Executive Director for Manned Space Programs Sergei Krikalev said in an interview with Interfax.

"Theoretically, they may. They may fly by our spaceships as professionals working at the U.S. segment. The question is whether the Americans will make this decision," Krikalev said in response to a question on whether European astronauts may fly to the ISS by Russian spaceships again.

Roscosmos and NASA signed the agreement on cross-flights to the ISS for dealing with emergencies in the first turn, so that neither segment of the station is left unattended, he said.

"If the Americans decide that any European astronaut can work at the U.S. segment alone, then, perhaps, that is possible," Krikalev said.

"Theoretically, anything is possible. It is up to NASA to decide whether that would be American astronauts or someone from their partners," he said.