Russia Cancels ISS Projects

While Russia’s occupation in Ukraine, which has been going on for a while, is expected to end with the negotiations that are expected to be held in our country in the coming days, many sanctions are still being imposed on Russia. Putin’s search for a way out in the face of these sanctions continues.

Upon the sanctions from numerous institutions and organizations, Russia said that it would cease cooperation with the International Space Station and demanded that these sanctions be lifted. Ruz Space Agency President Dmitry Rogozin, in a tweet, announced the new methods they will apply if the sanctions are not lifted.

Cooperation with ESA and CSA suspended

One of Russia’s biggest cards to play in the face of sanctions remains the International Space Station (ISS). Last month, again in the face of sanctions, Russia put forward the ISS and made statements that it would fall ‘uncontrolled’ to Europe or the USA, and gave a kind of warning. A new one was added to these warnings today, with a tweet by Dmitry Rogozin, and it was announced that if the sanctions were not withdrawn, Russia could completely terminate its cooperation with the ISS. With the announcement, the projects with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) are suspended, while the situation does not look bright in terms of cooperation with other countries.

Dmitry Rogozin in another post, “Sanctions will not be easy. These are to suffocate the Russian economy and push our people to despair and hunger…” While ISS claimed that a clear date would be determined in the coming days for the complete ban on cooperation. NASA, on the other hand, announced that it is working to continue this cooperation until 2030. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson also stated that “The United States will continue to support cooperation in space, especially activities related to the operation of the International Space Station by Russia, Canada, Europe and Japan.” Considering Rogozin’s tweet, it remains unclear how long this situation will continue and whether the sanctions will be withdrawn.