Russia has said that it will halt all co-operation on the International Space Station due to the sanctions imposed on it by so-call ‘unfriendly nations’ following its illegal invasion of Ukraine in February.
This means the Russian space agency Roscosmos will no longer work with NASA or the European Space Agency aboard the ISS.
In a statement on twitter the head of the Russian space agency, Dmitry Rogozin, said:
"Sanctions from the US, Canada, the European Union and Japan are aimed at blocking financial, economic and production activities of our high-tech enterprises. The purpose of the sanctions is to kill the Russian economy, plunge our people into despair and hunger, and bring our country to its knees. It is clear that they will not be able to do this, but the intentions are clear. That is why 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."
Adding:
"Specific proposals of Roscosmos on the timing of the completion of cooperation within the framework of the ISS with the space agencies of the United States, Canada, the European Union and Japan will be reported to the leadership of our country in the near future. At the same time, fearing the destruction of cooperation on the ISS, where the role of Russia is of fundamental importance to ensure the viability and safety of the station, Western partners make it clear that in reality, sanctions in terms of work in the interests of the ISS will not work. I consider this state of affairs unacceptable."
SpaceX founder Elon Musk has already stated that his team would be more than willing to fill the roles left behind by the Russian team members. SpaceX has already been running missions to the ISS and is now one of the biggest collaborators on the project.
[Based on reporting by: The Daily Mail]
COMMENTS