Posted on 03/12/2022 6:03:31 AM PST by blam
Two decades of space cooperation between the U.S. and Russia could be coming to an end after the U.S. and its allies imposed crippling sanctions on the country. The Russian government announced Friday that it might abandon a U.S. astronaut set to return to Earth.
Fox News reports that the Russian Space Agency head, Dmitry Rogozin, has “threatened to leave” U.S. astronaut Mark Vande Hei aboard the International Space Station (ISS), who is scheduled to return to Earth on a Russian spacecraft by the end of the month.
JUST IN: Russia threatens to abandon ‘American Astronaut’ in spacepic.twitter.com/ybTrf8TR8e
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) March 11, 2022
“Rogozin posted a threatening video on social media casting doubt over the astronaut’s safety. He also warned that without the help from Russia to move the ISS away from space junk, the station would crash into the U.S.,” reports the Express.
Relations in space are souring as the U.S. and its Western allies hammer Russia’s economy with devastating sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine. This angered Moscow so much that they threatened to deorbit the ISS last month.
Former U.S. astronaut Scott Kelly recently told ABC News that Russia’s threat to the safety of Americans on ISS is “not really based on reality.”
“We do have the ability to control the orbit of the space station independent of the Russian space agency, so I don’t really see that happening,” Kelly said.
Even if the Russians were to abandon the U.S. astronaut and ISS altogether, Elon Musk has suggested his space company SpaceX could keep the ISS from deorbiting and even shuttle astronauts and cargo to and from Earth.
Vande Hei holds the record for longest space flight (at 355 days). It remains to be seen in three weeks if the Russians will allow him to board the spacecraft bound for Kazakhstan with two Russian cosmonauts. If not, maybe Musk can send a rocket with a Dragon capsule to the ISS.
Things are so bad between the U.S. and Russia that Rogozin ordered flags of the U.S. and its allies to be removed off Russian rockets.
Speak for yourself. That entire country needs to go. IMO we fought the wrong war in the mid 90s.
it is the Democratic Party.
Agree there
Then attack their army in Ukraine and end this bs.
Why does an article say “things are so bad between Russia and the US...”
As if it’s equal.
When Russia is an international criminal and mass murderer.
Tell that Putin shill to go to hell.
No country ever threatens astronauts on a peaceful mission.
Destroy that damn Russian army and set them back 20 years.
Isn’t it obvious Biden is the Russian poodle.
They are both my enemies. Biden and Putin.
Can anyone imagine what Trump would threaten Putin with if they jeopardize our astronaut?
Trump did not issue threats—he negotiated win win scenarios.
That is exactly what Democrats refuse to do.
In the real world if you treat the other side with respect and integrity—most of the time you will get what you give.
That is why threatening, finger pointing and name calling is always a losing tactic.
You know, after everything we went through in the Cold War, I thought the US was pretty damn magnanimous in allowing Russia a “do over” after the the collapse of the Soviet Union. And what do we get from Russia 2.0? They have shown their true colors. No reason to make the same mistake twice.
“... there’s a chance the cosmonauts bring him back.”
If Musk makes the pickup, I wonder how many Roosians Cosmos would hitch a ride and seek asylum here?
That’d be the kiss of death to the Russian space program.
They’d say goodbye to all the western funding for their space activities. Rocket motors are already gone.
We've been using their rockets to get to/from the space station because we didn't have any that could do it.
Fortunately we have a brand new rocket. I think it will be the largest in the world...15% more thrust than the Saturn-5.
NASA's Brand New SLS Rocket Ready For March 18 Roll Out On Launch Pad; Watch Live Here
There is a reason why the Soviet subs, surface warships, and aircraft never fired on me in 11 years Navy during the Cold War. They knew there was no winning in a nuclear exchange. Putin knows this also.
Also, aside from Obambi's stupid comment about America could absorbed 2 nuke strikes before us launching, and Biteme's handlers being commie pussies, the Pentagon would obliterate Russia even though they outnumber our warheads. Read what you will; think what you will; give me crap as you will, there will be no nuke war.
Don’t care...
“Add to that, his craft has never flown to that orbit or docked with anything let alone something occupied with people.”
Uh...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZCzWVBmTxo&t=8s
Is the astronaut a tranny?
There is no urgent reason astronaut Vande Hei has to get in the Russian craft.
I’d toss the commie bastards out an airlock faster than you can say Vodka Gimlet.
That assumes existence of a conscience...
SPACE X ........
A Crew Dragon could extract him
Also an Unmanned Dragon Supply ship could use its thrusters to
raise the orbit to keep it from descending
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