New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin has relieved the head of the country's space agency Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, of his duties, according to a decree released by the Kremlin on Friday. Putin signed the decree today, firing him as General Director of Roscosmos after four years of service. The Kremlin has appointed Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov as the new director of Roscosmos after Rogozin's tenure as head of the Russian space agency has come to an end.
The change was reported shortly before Roscosmos said it had signed a landmark deal with NASA in regards to coordinated flights and crews on the International Space Station (ISS) - an uncommon occurrence of participation among Russia and the United States at a time of acute tension over the war in Ukraine.
The Kremlin didn't remark on the purposes behind the change.
Rogozin had taken a fierce position since Roscosmos was hit with sanctions for its role in Russia's defence industry after Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine.
He had taken steps to pull out of the ISS, expressing cooperation with the West was "impossible," and distinctly boasted about Russia's nuclear potential.
In a video posted on the instant messaging service Telegram, Roscosmos hailed the success made at the space organisation under Rogozin, who was designated in 2018.
Those accomplishments included "a record 86 successful launches in a row, construction of the Russian segment of the ISS...and flight tests for a powerful intercontinental ballistic missile," Roscosmos said.