Russia is ready to expand cooperation with Turkmenistan in the space sector, including training Turkmen cosmonauts, Russian Ambassador to Ashgabat Ivan Volynkin said, according to TASS.
According to the diplomat, bilateral cooperation in space has significant potential. The sides could establish partnerships in satellite production and launches, the development of navigation technologies, as well as scientific research and development. If Ashgabat expresses interest, Russia is ready to organize training for a Turkmen cosmonaut for a spaceflight.
The ambassador recalled the achievements of Oleg Kononenko, a native of Chardzhou and a Hero of Russia and Turkmenistan. The head of the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center is preparing for a sixth mission scheduled for the coming autumn. During a previous mission, Kononenko set a record for total time spent in orbit, exceeding 1,110 days.
Cosmonautics Day is marked annually on April 12, commemorating the first human spaceflight carried out by Yuri Gagarin in 1961.
