Created April 29, 2022 | 07:22
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Russia’s participation initially planned until 2024
Photo: APA/dpa
ONEIn the wake of the war in Ukraine, Russia questioned its involvement in the operation of the International Space Station (ISS). “The decision on the fate of the ISS will largely depend on the situation in and around our country,” Russian Space Agency chief Dmitry Rogozin told the TASS news agency on Friday. In case of departure, Moscow will inform its partners one year in advance.
Russia’s participation in the station is still planned for now until 2024. Previously, Rogozin had not ruled out encapsulating the Russian ISS module and continuing to operate it independently. He also indicated a possible use of the station for military Earth observation. The Russian government also wants to decide by mid-May whether to continue to fly Western astronauts in their spacecraft to the ISS. After the war of aggression against Ukraine ordered by Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, Western countries also imposed sanctions on the Russian space industry.