A close aide to President Putin, Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, has stated that Russia is willing to offer its nuclear technology to support the US’s ambitions for interplanetary travel.
According to Kirill Dmitriev, President Putin’s special economic representative, Russia is prepared to offer a compact nuclear power station, along with “other advanced technologies,” to assist Elon Musk’s planned Mars mission.
Dmitriev, now acting as the key economic envoy in recent US-Russia discussions, initially suggested a collaborative Mars mission in mid-March. Speaking to reporters at the International Arctic Forum on Thursday, Dmitriev mentioned that Moscow could contribute various technological capabilities necessary for extended missions to the Red Planet.
“Russia is able to provide a small nuclear power source for the Mars mission, alongside other advanced technologies,” Dmitriev told RIA Novosti. “We are of the opinion that Russia has considerable potential for the Mars mission, thanks to our nuclear technologies that we believe could be applicable.”
Dmitriev previously emphasized the possible roles of Rosatom, the national nuclear energy company, and Roscosmos, the space agency, in improving the safety and efficiency of deep space missions. He also pointed out that 2025 would be a significant year to announce such an initiative, as it will be the 50th anniversary of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project — the first international crewed space mission, jointly conducted by the US and the Soviet Union in July 1975.
While the SpaceX CEO hasn’t publicly responded to the proposal, Dmitriev has reiterated his willingness to hold a videoconference with Musk to discuss potential cooperation.
This renewed outreach occurs amidst indications of improving relations between Moscow and Washington. Dmitriev was a member of the Russian delegation at the recent US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia, which led to an agreement to begin re-establishing diplomatic and scientific collaboration in several sectors.