An American astronaut is in danger of being left in space as US sanctions have irritated the Russians so much that they are even threatening Moscow-Washington peaceful cooperation on the International Space Station (ISS).
In about three weeks from today, American astronaut Mark Vande Hei is scheduled to return to Earth and land in the desert of Kazakhstan with two Russian cosmonauts with the help of a Russian space capsule.
So far, US cooperation with Russia in space has been far removed from the conflicts between the two superpowers.
But now, with Putin’s war in Ukraine, Moscow-Washington good cooperation so far, appears to be under threat.
According to a post by the director of the Russian space agency “Roscosmos”, Dmitry Rogozin, after the harsh US sanctions against Russia, it is very likely that the upcoming mission back to Earth of the Russian spacecraft Soyuz will not include the American astronaut.
If the Russians eventually refuse to bring the American astronaut, then they will disrupt the entire ISS crew change program. In addition, the return of Mark Vande Hei will have to be done by an American spacecraft.
“When you are in space and flying around the Earth at 17,500 miles per hour and in a very dangerous environment, cooperation is the most important thing,” said former US astronaut Scott Kelly, commenting on the Russian threats.
“For the past 24 years, the United States and Russia have worked together to build and maintain the International Space Station (ISS), where research has led to some of the most important discoveries of the 21st century. “But now things are getting complicated”.
Global Food Prices Surge (infographic)
A total of seven astronauts are currently on the International Space Station, including four Americans, one German and two Russians. American Mark Vande Hei already holds the record for the longest space flight. In three weeks he will have completed 355 days in space and according to the plan, it is his turn to return to Earth.
For the American Cady Coleman, former NASA astronaut, “Space is hard and dangerous. And from my experience … we have to share our problems with our Russian partners. I was up there with the three Russian cosmonauts. We have shared and continue to share a goal, to explore space … and that goal does not change whether we are on Earth or living on the International Space Station”.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine almost two weeks ago, US President Joe Biden announced new sanctions against Moscow, including a cut in more than half of Russia’s high-tech imports. “These cuts will degrade the Russian aerospace industry, including their space program”, the White House spokesman said in a speech to the Oval Office on February 24.
