Head of Russia’s space agency threatens to end space station cooperation
The first piece of the International Space Station was launched in 1998.
Russia threatens to leave ISS program
Russia's space director is vowing to end cooperation with the West and NASA on the ISS unless all sanctions against Moscow are lifted.
The head of Russia’s space agency announced on Twitter on Saturday that the program could end space cooperation with the U.S. and others over sanctions for the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Russian space agency Roscosmos, has used social media several times since the invasion to threaten ending collaboration with NASA, the European Space Agency and other allies.
Rogozin’s most recent tweets included photos that he said were of letters that he received from the leaders of space programs that vowed to continue cooperating with Russia, to the extent that sanctions would allow.
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Rogozin’s statements are in Russian but, when translated, read in part: "I believe that the restoration of normal relations between partners in the International Space Station and other joint projects is possible only with the complete and unconditional lifting of illegal sanctions."
Rogozin believes that Russia’s role is fundamentally important to the continued operation of the space station, and without their cooperation, the "ISS will die by its own death."
NASA has not publicly commented on the latest claims by Rogozin but did previously say its relationship with the Russian space program was unchanged since the Ukraine invasion.
MOSCOW, RUSSIA - APRIL, 12 (RUSSIA OUT) Russians President Vladimir Putin (C), Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin (R) and Roscosmos Head Igor Komarov (L) observe the exposition of missiles at the Cosmos pavillion space industry exhibiton on April 12, 2018 in Moscow, Russia. Russians mark Cosmonaut day on April.12 in honour of first flight in space of cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin in 1961.
( Photo by Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Before Rogozin’s recent comments, NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei returned from the International Space Station aboard a Russian spacecraft that landed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday.
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The U.S. and Russia have collaborated on space exploration for decades, and NASA says that Roscosmos’ contributions are essential to the continued operation of the ISS.
Moscow is home to only one of two mission control centers for the international collaboration and provides all the space station’s propulsion for attitude control, debris avoidance and other maneuvers.