US and Russia agree to fly each other’s astronauts to the ISS as tensions thaw

Nasa and Roscosmos made the announcement of integrated flights shortly after the Russian space program leader was replaced

The US and Russia have struck a deal to fly each other's astronauts to the International Space Station, an apparent break in tensions between the nations over the war in Ukraine that includes the removal of the Russian space program's bellicose leader.

Nasa and Russia's space agency, Roscosmos made the announcement of integrated flights Friday, shortly after Moscow said President Vladimir Putin had replaced Dmitry Rogozin with the less confrontational Yuri Borisov, the country's deputy prime minister and a former minister of defense.