Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko, left, shakes hands with US astronaut Scott Kelly after a press conference at Unesco on Thursday. Photograph: Chesnot\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
A US astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut gearing up for the longest-ever flight on the International Space Station (ISS) said Thursday they were unfazed by any turbulence in their countries political ties.<\/p>\n
Nasa spacefarer Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko of the Russian space agency Roscosmos are to launch to the ISS in 2015 for a year-long stay designed to be a test-bed for a future trip to Mars. <\/p>\n
The ISS is a rare area of US-Russian cooperation that has not been hit by the Ukrainian crisis, which has prompted Washington to impose sanctions on Moscow. <\/p>\n
In space, we rely on each other implicitly for our lives, Kelly, 50, said at a press conference in Paris to showcase the mission. <\/p>\n
Any political issues that exist between our countries is something we dont even discuss. Were great friends, were colleagues, were professionals. Thats the way it has to be. <\/p>\n
Kornienko, 54, added: There is no borders in space between us. <\/p>\n
Its a great example of ... working together, especially for politics on the ground. <\/p>\n
Their spell will be the longest stay aboard the ISS since the orbital outpost in space was manned in 2000. <\/p>\n
The longest-ever space trip was by cosmonaut Valeriy Polyakov, who in 1994 and 1995 spent 437 days in the Russian-Soviet station Mir. <\/p>\n
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