Russia's Space Agency Chief Hails Easing of INA Restrictions by U.S.

Russia's Federal Space Agency chief Anatoly Perminov said in a statement that the U.S. action represented a "breakthrough in U.S.-Russian space cooperation.''

The U.S. Congress has recently amended the Iran Nonproliferation Act (INA) of 2000 that penalized Russia and other countries that sell unconventional weapons and missile technology to Iran, allowing NASA to pay the Russians for services necessary to operate the station until 2012.

Russia's Soyuz crew capsules and unmanned Progress cargo ships have been the ISS' lifeline since the U.S. space shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003. NASA officials have warned that unless exemptions are made for NASA's work with Russia it was possible that no U.S. astronauts would be flying on the next Soyuz mission in April.

Perminov said that lifting of the ban "creates good preconditions for further development of space cooperation and strengthening of ties between Russia's Federal Space Agency and NASA.''

The U.S. shuttle program was suspended for more than two years; the shuttle Discovery flew to the ISS in July, but problems with its insulation raised doubts about when the next shuttle would go into space.

When the current space station's crew of Russian Valery Tokarev and U.S. astronaut William McArthur blasted off in a Russian rocket last month, Russian space officials warned that they could not guarantee McArthur's return next spring unless NASA paid for the flight.

Russia is building an US$800 million (euro684million) nuclear power plant in Iran despite U.S objections that this could help Tehran build atomic bombs. Several Russian companies have also been accused by the U.S. administration of leaking missile technologies to Tehran.

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