NASA has signed a contract for $719 million worth of extra Russian space “crew and cargo services” for a period up to 2011, Britains’s The Register reported on Tuesday, April 10.

The modified contract now buys NASA a two-way “flight opportunity” to the International Space Station (ISS). This, the agency says, will allow it to meet its obligations to its international partners. The flight will carry an astronaut from one of the international partners to and from the space station for a six month visit in 2009.

The deal includes an extra 15 crew rotations, and delivery and removal of 5.6 tons of cargo. It also covers the delivery of a cargo module containing 1.4 tons of NASA kit to the ISS in 2010.

NASA has a lot to do if it is to finish its construction work on the ISS before the U.S. space fleet is retired in 2010, and although the agency has not said as much in its announcements, the deal takes the pressure off the now rather elderly Shuttle fleet.

The work was substantially delayed by the loss of Columbia, and the difficulties of ensuring the safety of the craft for the return to flight. Although the launches are back on track, with night launches being sanctioned once again, another window was missed last month after a heavy storm caused significant hail damage to the Shuttle as it waited on the launchpad.

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