The head of the Russian space agency has just threatened the US and NASA with serious consequences if the Biden administration continues with sanctions that will affect cooperation between the two countries.
If the US cuts off Russia’s access to certain space technologies needed to keep the International Space Station active, then the end result may be that the Russians will allow the International Space Station to simply get off orbit and return to Earth.
Russia is a key player in a partnership of about 15 countries that has maintained the ISS (International Space Station) in orbit around the Earth for 23 years, but bilateral ties between the US and Russia have deteriorated significantly over the past year.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden introduced new sanctions that he said would “degrade” Russia’s “aerospace industry,” including its space program.
In response to the announcement of Biden’s sanctions, the head of Russia’s space program took to Twitter, asking if the US wants to “destroy our cooperation on the ISS”.
Roscosmos CEO Dmitry Rogozin warned that Russian engines would control the route and location of the station and without them, the ISS would be in a lot of trouble.
One of the potentially disastrous results would be the “uncontrolled removal” of the 500-tonne space station structure, which would likely cause it to collapse from the sky and fall toward the United States or perhaps even Europe.
“If you block cooperation with us, who will save the International Space Station (ISS) from an uncontrolled exit that will cause it to fall into the United States or … Europe?” he said. “There is also a possibility that a 500 tonne structure will fall on India and China … do you want that?”
Meanwhile, in North America, the message about continued space cooperation could not have been more different: NASA insisted that the new sanctions on Russia would have no effect on the agency’s ability to manage the ISS, along with other joint space projects.
In a media statement on Friday, a NASA spokesman said the agency “continues to work with all of our international partners, including Roscosmos State Space Corporation, for the ongoing safe operation of the International Space Station.”
“The new export controls will continue to enable cooperation in civilian space between the United States and Russia. “No changes are planned in the agency’s support for ongoing activities on the track and at ground stations,” they said.
The ISS is the product of a collaboration between the US, Russia, Japan, Canada and the European Space Agency.
Currently, there are two Russian cosmonauts, four NASA astronauts and one European astronaut who live and work aboard the space station.