Russia cannot deliver its own energy module to the orbital station due to a significant reduction in the number of U.S. space shuttle flights. The module was originally intended to be delivered to the ISS by an American spacecraft.
"The Russian segment will receive energy from the American solar generators to compensate the modification of the Russian program," said Alexei Krasnov, the head of the Russian space agency's manned flights program.
He also confirmed that NASA would pay for the delivery of a U.S. astronaut to the ISS by a Russian spacecraft in fall 2006.
"In the fall of 2006, an American astronaut will fly to the ISS on board the Soyuz spacecraft, and NASA will pay for these services," Krasnov said.
The official also said that all preliminary contracts on the delivery of space tourists to the ISS remained in force. Russia's space agency said in April it had signed contracts with Japanese businessman Daisuke Enomoto, who will fly to the ISS with the next crew in the fall of 2006, and with former Microsoft developer Charles Simonyi, who will fly in the spring of 2007.
Russia has also agreed to fly the first South Korean astronaut to the ISS in the spring of 2008.
