"We had heard from numerous senators suggesting that this was not a good idea. And I wanted to be accommodating to the interests of the senators, and so I have rescinded the invitation", Bridenstine said in a phone interview with The Washington Post.
NASA's press secretary told Sputnik late on 4 January that the planned visit of Rogozin to the United States, initially scheduled for February, would be postponed and a new date would be set later. Earlier the same day, a space industry source told Sputnik that the visit could be cancelled.
The statement comes after US Senator Jeanne Shaheen urged NASA on 2 January to withdraw the invitation to Rogozin because he had been sanctioned by the US government over the Ukraine crisis.
Bridenstine previously said that NASA was working on obtaining a sanctions waiver for Rogozin, who has been subject to US restrictions since 2014.