The space station has been in orbit around the Earth since 1998. It is a joint project of Russia, USA, Europe, Canada and Japan. The ISS has been used to carry out thousands of scientific projects.
Relationship deteriorated
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has hampered cooperation between the countries, especially between Russia and the US. Russia previously threatened to stop the ISS project due to Western sanctions. The project will in principle continue until 2024, but the US wanted to extend that period by six years.
Speaking with Putin today, Borisov said that it had been decided to stop the project after 2024. Borisov was named space chief by the Kremlin two weeks ago, succeeding Dmitri Rogozin.
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Rogozin argued a lot with Western countries about the war in Ukraine. He threatened that Russia could sink the ISS. He had the life-size letters Z and V affixed to the launch installation in Baykonur, the symbols that Russia also used in the war. Roskosmos also shared a video in which the Russian part of the ISS was disconnected from the rest. As a result, the non-Russians were left alone in the universe.
‘Nothing heard’
The United States calls the Russian departure from the International Space Station an unfortunate development. The US State Department also said it was surprised by Russia’s announcement that it plans to withdraw.
The ministry in Washington points to the important scientific work being carried out in the ISS. The department also emphasizes “the valuable professional collaboration that our space agencies have had over the years.”
The American space agency NASA said it had not heard anything from Russia about ending participation in the ISS.
Effects
Russia’s withdrawal from the International Space Station could have consequences. Western countries, for example, are partly dependent on Russia to bring crew members to the space station. Russia in turn can make good use of the income from this. Russia’s space projects with other countries have been halted because of the war, such as a European mission to the planet Mars.
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