The United States and Russia may sign a new commercial deal stipulating the delivery of US astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), Executive Director for Piloted Space Programs at Russia’s State Space Corporation Roscosmos Sergei Krikalyov told TASS on Thursday.

Krikalyov is on a visit to the United States where he is winding up his participation in the 34th American annual space symposium in Colorado Springs (Colorado).

When asked about whether a possibility existed for Moscow and Washington to conclude a new commercial deal, considering that NASA recently publicly announced its intention to ask Russia to extend some missions to the ISS, the high-placed specialist answered: "Yes, this is possible."