In a series of tweets published on April 2, Dmitry Rogozin, director general of Rocosmos, the Russian space agency, threatens to no longer participate in the International Space Station (ISS), if Western sanctions are not suspended. Russia plays a fundamental role in the operation of the ISS.
NASA, ESA and Canada want to continue working with Russia on the ISS
Simple diplomatic pressure or serious threat? Dmitry Rogozin said via social media “ I believe that the restoration of normal relations between the partners of the International Space Station (ISS) and other projects is only possible with the complete and unconditional removal of illegal sanctions “.
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He explains that these sanctions, taken following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, are intended ” to kill the Russian economy, to plunge our people into despair and hunger, and to bring our country to its knees “.
The director of Rocosmos added to his Twitter thread the responses of the Canadian, American and European space agencies to one of his March 14 letters. The Verge authenticated the Canadian response, those of NASA and ESA seem credible, but have not yet confirmed.
Глава НАСА сенатор Нельсон, руководитель Европейского космического агентства Йозеф Ашбахер и глава Канадского космического агентства Лиза Кэмпбелл ответили на моё к ним обращение с требованием отмены санкций против ряда предприятий российской ракетно-космической отрасли. pic.twitter.com/rnMYiK9wal
— РОГОЗИН (@Rogozin) April 2, 2022
Bill Nelson, the NASA administrator, reportedly replied on March 30 that ” The United States continues to support international governmental space cooperation, particularly activities associated with the operation of the ISS with Russia, Canada, Europe and Japan “. He judges that ” New and existing U.S. export controls continue to enable U.S.-Russia cooperation to ensure continued safe operations of the ISS “.
The Canadian response is in the same vein. For the ESA, its director general Josef Aschbacher simply wrote that he had to refer to the Member States, without further details.
The degree of credibility of Russian threats is difficult to assess. It could be diplomatic posturing or a more distant caveat. NASA wants to extend the existence of the ISS until 2030. A decision to be discussed with its counterparts.
For now, Rocosmos has committed to operating the station until 2024. Russia controls the guidance of the ISS and in fact occupies a strategic position to keep it in orbit. At the beginning of the conflict with Ukraine, Dmitry Rogozin had already suggested that without the participation of his agency, the ISS could eventually crash.
The rivalry is expressed… Up to a point
Despite tensions between Russia and Western countries, American astronaut Mark Vende Hei was brought back to Earth aboard Soyuz with two Russian cosmonauts. The country’s participation in the ExoMars project, aimed at bringing back signs of life from the red planet, has, however, been suspended. Similarly, the launch of 34 OneWeb satellites was canceled on March 4. Russia had demanded that the British government give up its shares in the company. She turned to Space X.
The ISS and its occupants are subject to diplomatic vagaries, but its existence should not be directly threatened. Longer-term space collaboration between the West and Russia is already damaged by terrestrial considerations.