In sparkle of what it is calling the " illegal " sanctions that have been bring down on Russia over the Ukraine invasion , Russia has herald it will end cooperation with the US and Western countries on the International Space Station ( ISS ) .
After antecedently declaring these sanctions an act of " economic warfare " , the Russian governing say it would refuse to participate in joint activity with the European Space Agency and NASA , with Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin state the only way they can resume being the “ full and categorical remotion of illegal indorsement . ”
Rogozin had previously filed an appeal with NASA and other space agencies , demanding an straightaway withdrawal of sanction by March 31 or ISS cooperation would come to an close . After receiving responses refusing to do so , Rogozin denote the outside partnership will no longer persist in in a longTwitter threadon April 2 .
“ Nevertheless , the position of our spouse is clear : the authorization will not be lifted . At the same time , fearing the demolition of cooperation on the ISS , where the part of Russia is of rudimentary importance , to see the viability and prophylactic of the station , Western partners make it clear that in reality , warrant in terms of work in the interests of the ISS will not exercise , ” Rogozin wrote .
“ I think that the regaining of normal relations between partner in the International Space Station and other joint projects is potential only with the sodding and unconditional lifting of illegal authorization . ”
Rogozin and Roscosmos have been imperil a host of extremely controversial legal action following the foundation of countenance after Russia ’s encroachment of Ukraine on February 24 , including astrange and obliterate videoreleased by Rogozin show Russia leaving the ISS and it bankrupt apart , lead behind US astronaut Mark Vande Hei . This led to unfounded surmisal that Russia was contemplating leaving behind the astronaut , who was scheduled to yield home on a Russian Soyuz rocket , as a response to authorization , but they subsequentlyannouncedthis was not the case and Vende Hei returned on March 30 after arecord - breakingtime in space .
NASA has already put forwardextending the ISS through 2030 , with the legal age of other partners set to agree . The ISS is governed by theIntergovernmental Agreement , first negotiated by the US , Russia , Europe , Canada , and Japan in 1988 . Due to not need to breach the IGA , it ’s unbelievable NASA , ESA , Jaxa , and the Canadian Space Agency will break this partnership , so it will in effect come down to Russia . However , Rogozin has blow and threatened to leave before . Whether it in reality happen this time remains to be see .
