The space industry is an important field for cooperation between Russia and the United States, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday.

Putin held a video conference with the ISS as Russia is celebrating Cosmonautics Day on Tuesday to commemorate the first manned space flight on April 12, 1961, when a booster rocket took into orbit the Vostok spacecraft with the first cosmonaut on board - Soviet citizen Yuri Gagarin.

"Despite any difficulties we face on the ground, people in space work side by side, hand in hand, they help each other and carry out tasks of utmost importance not just for our countries, but for the whole of humanity. And this is a very important area of our cooperation with the United States, as well as with other countries," Putin said

On April 7, 2011, upon Russia's initiative, the UN General Assembly proclaimed April 12 the International Day of Human Space Flight on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the first space flight by Gagarin. The resolution was co-authored by over 60 UN member states.

Since 2001, many countries around the world have been holding Yuri's Night sponsored by the Space Generation Advisory Council, an official adviser of the UN program on using space equipment. It focuses on two events: the first manned space flight (April 12, 1961, Soviet Union) and the first manned flight under the Space Shuttle program (April 12, 1981, United States).

According to Putin, the Vostochny space launch center in Russia's Far East is designated to operate in the interests of Russia's economy and develop cooperation with foreign partners.

"We expect to carry out commercial launches and manned launches, including in the interests of our partners, as soon as the new Vostochny cosmodrome is available," the Russian president said.

The Vostochny space port which has been under construction since 2012 was conceived as an alternative to Baikonur, which is on lease to Russia until 2050. The first launch from Vostochny is planned for April 27, according to the Russian state corporation Roscosmos.

NASA-Russia space cooperation vital and should continue
The collaboration between the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Russia is very important and should continue, early stage portfolio executive at NASA headquarters John "Jay" Falker told Sputnik.

Falker spoke on the sidelines of the 32nd Space Symposium in Colorado Springs. The event brings together space agencies, commercial space businesses as well as military, national security and intelligence organizations, providing an opposrunity to discuss and plan the future of space exploration.

"I think it's [cooperation] very vital," Falker stated on Monday. "And I think, actually, our history, NASA with Russia, shows that we needed Russia when we stopped flying our own shuttle. So I think it's a good thing to continue the partnership."

Falker noted that Russia has contributed to that cooperation, and noted that just about every country that wants to conduct projects in space that it is too expensive to do so alone.

"The best thing is partner with anyone else who wants to do similar things in space like the International Space Station."

US Space Foundation 'hopeful' about future of US-Russia Cooperation
Colorado Springs CO - The US nonprofit Space Foundation is optimistic about the future of US-Russia joint efforts in space, the organization's CEO Elliot Pulham told Sputnik on the sidelines of the 32nd Space Symposium in Colorado Springs.

At present, the United States and Russia have engine development partnerships, joint projects at the international space station, and cooperate on scientific issues.

"Politics can always be in the way, and I think one of the great things about our collaboration in the past is that even when things were politically difficult, we have found ways to work together," Pulham stated. "I think the space program gives us an opportunity to do that. I am always very hopeful for the future."

Pulham noted that cooperation between the two countries on space issues is "very important."

"Things are difficult today, but they are not impossible," he added. "We still have many great partnerships with Russia."

Collaboration between the US nonprofit organization Space Foundation and the Russian authorities has increased, the nonprofit's CEO Elliot Pulham said.

"We have been working with the embassy, and I think at least as far as my organization is concerned, our relationship is getting stronger," Pulham stated. "So I am very hopeful about the future."

The CEO added that the United States and Russia currently have a number "great partnerships," particularly in the fields of engine development and science as well as joint projects at the International Space Station.

Source: Sputnik News