HEFEI, China, Apr 24 Former NASA astronaut Donald Alan Thomas said on Monday that Russia or China do not pose a threat to space exploration, but also noted that he would like to see the United States in peaceful cooperation with all countries in space.
«I am completely for peaceful purposes in space. And this is what I would like to see. I have seen competition during the space race, I have seen cooperation. And I prefer cooperation. I would like to see the United States in peaceful cooperation with all countries in space «Thomas told reporters on the sidelines of China's Cosmonautics Day celebrations in Hefei, China's eastern province of Anhui.
According to him, although there are political differences between countries here on Earth, in space everyone works together and is friendly.
«The US has been working with the Russians for over 30 years on the International Space Station. And while we're politically pitted on Earth, we're a team in space,» Thomas said.
He also said that he still has many cosmonaut friends from Russia, with whom he maintains friendly relations.
“I do not represent NASA or the United States government, I am a space explorer. And I do not see Russia or China as a threat in terms of space exploration. I look forward to peaceful cooperation with them in space,” said the former astronaut.
Earlier, Director General of Roskosmos Yuri Borisov reported to President Vladimir Putin about the decision to withdraw from the ISS project after 2024, the exact date will be determined based on the technical condition of the station. Later, he said that Russia would most likely participate in the project until 2028. Now the decision to extend the ISS until 2030 was made by the United States and Japan, the European Space Agency also supported this initiative.
Monday, China celebrates Cosmonautics Day: on this day, April 24, 1970, the Long March-1 carrier rocket was launched from the Jiuquan Cosmodrome, which put the first Chinese satellite into orbit «Dongfanghong-1».