ussia and NASA Extend ISS Cross-Flight Program Until 2025, Confirms Roscosmos

A visitor walks past the logo of Russian Federal Space Agency Roscosmos is pictured at the ILA Berlin Air Show in Schoenefeld, south of Berlin, Germany, June 1, 2016.

MOSCOW, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, announced on Thursday the extension of a cross-flight program with NASA to the International Space Station (ISS) until 2025, as reported by Interfax news agency.

The decision to extend cross-flights aims to "maintain the reliability of the ISS operation" and will involve collaborative missions utilizing both Russian and U.S. spacecraft, according to Roscosmos.

These cross-flights entail sending an American astronaut aboard a Russian spacecraft as part of the ISS crew and reciprocally sending a Russian cosmonaut as part of an American crew, as detailed by Interfax. The continued collaboration reflects the commitment to international cooperation in space exploration and the sustained operation of the ISS.