UPDATE: Addition Of Nauka Lab To ISS Does Well For Cooperation With Russia - NASA Chief

The addition of the new Nauka multipurpose laboratory module to the International Space Station (ISS) is beneficial for successful cooperation with Russia, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd August, 2021) The addition of the new Nauka multipurpose laboratory module to the International Space Station (ISS) is beneficial for successful cooperation with Russia, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said on Tuesday.

"It does well for our continued collaboration with the Russians, and so I'm excited for what the future brings, Nauka, and the European robotic arm, are going to help lead even more discoveries, both for life here on Earth and as we move out further into the cosmos and onto Mars," Nelson said.

Nelson also praised the continued collaboration with the Russian partners.

"Thankfully, our relationship with the Russians, and I might point out, which started in the midst of the Cold War with the Soviet Union in 1975 that relationship with the Russians, has continued," Nelson said.

"And it's been one of collaboration and partnership and our ISS operations team was able to work with them."

Nelson also said on Tuesday that he expects the US Congress will extend the life of the International Space Station to 2030.

"I believe we'll see the Congress this year, extend the life of the station to 2030," Nelson said.

In late July, the Nauka module successfully docked to the ISS, after 14 years of waiting on the Earth and eight days of orbital flight. This is the first Russian module sent to the station in 11 years. The module was originally scheduled to go into orbit in 2007, but the launch was postponed multiple times for various reasons.