Moscow, May 14 (RIA Novosti) Russian space agency Roscosmos and the US space agency NASA have agreed on a new price for ferrying US astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) after 2012, an official said.
NASA will now pay $51 million for a single seat on Soyuz spacecraft.

NASA earlier said it planned to buy up to 24 seats aboard Russian Soyuz spacecraft to fly US astronauts to the ISS after the space shuttle is retired in September 2010.

“We have reached an agreement with NASA to increase the price for a single seat on Soyuz spacecraft for US astronauts traveling to the ISS to $51 million, with adjustment for inflation,” Alexei Krasnov, director of manned flight programmes at Roscosmos, said Wednesday.

In 2007, NASA signed a $719 million contract for 15 Soyuz seats and 5.6 tonnes of cargo on return trips to the ISS.

NASA said: “These services (space flights) are being procured through Roscosmos because the Soyuz is the only proven crew transportation and rescue vehicle currently compatible and able to dock to the ISS.”