After the invasion of Ukraine, sanctions against Russia started to come from all over the world. But disrupting space cooperation with Russia could endanger both the International Space Station (ISS) and other projects.
It was wondered whether space activities would be affected by US government sanctions against Russia. But according to NASA, the International Space Station program will continue to operate as usual.
What did NASA say about Russia’s Space Station threat?
Russia invaded Ukraine in a series of military attacks. US President Joe Biden announced that this situation, which is seen as an international threat, may lead to new and severe sanctions. Despite the new sanctions and the ongoing crisis, NASA stated that the cooperation between the USA and Russia regarding space, especially the International Space Station, will continue.
Dmitriy Rogozin, Head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, said that the sanctions could have dire consequences for the International Space Station program. Stating that Russia controls the navigation and control units for the ISS, Rogozin claimed that the station could hit the Earth after the sanctions.
He stated that in the event of a possible collision, Europe and the USA may be under threat. Rogozin used the following expressions in his tweets in Russian:
“If you prevent cooperation with us, who will save the ISS from orbiting the USA or Europe? There is also the option of leaving the 500-tonne structure to India and China. Do you want to threaten them like that? The ISS does not fly over Russia, so all risk is at your own risk. Are you ready for these?”
NASA, on the other hand, refused to exclude Russia, saying that the sanctions would not include cooperation in space. The agency spokesman Joshua Finch announced that NASA will continue to work with Roscosmos, the Russian State Space Agency, with the following words:
“NASA is working with all our international partners, including the State Space Company Roscosmos, for the continued safe operations of the International Space Station. continues to work. New export control measures will continue to allow for US-Russia civil space cooperation. No changes are planned in the agency’s support for ongoing orbital and ground station operations.”
You can share your views on Russia’s Space Station threat and NASA’s response in the comments section and on the SDN Forum.
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