NASA has criticized the Kremlin for using ISS-related propaganda after Russian forces’ invasion of Ukraine.
On Thursday, the US space agency released a statement condemning the actions of three Russian astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
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The Russian cosmonauts shared photos of themselves on Monday with the flags of two regions of eastern Ukraine captured by Russian forces.
In addition, the cosmonauts called the conquest of the regions “a liberation day to celebrate both on Earth and in space”.
In response, NASA said they “strongly rebuke the use of the International Space Station for political purposes” [the] war against Ukraine.”
NASA added that the actions of the Russian astronauts were “fundamentally contrary to the primary function of the station among the 15 international participating countries to advance science and develop technology for peaceful purposes.”
The ISS Partnership
Since the Kremlin invaded Ukraine, NASA has tried to maintain its cooperation with its Russian counterparts aboard the ISS, per The Washington Post.
“There are Russian cosmonauts and American astronauts on the station, and they are all very professional,” NASA administrator Bill Nelson said on June 15. Space news.
“The relationship between mission control in Houston and Moscow is very professional.”
The Kremlin’s Threats
Despite NASA’s efforts to achieve an amicable partnership, the ISS has seemingly become a political toy for the Kremlin.
Earlier this year, Roscosmos director general Dmitry Rogozin made a dramatic threat to drop the ISS on either the US or Europe.
Rogozin wrote on Twitter, boasting to the West that the ISS “doesn’t fly over Russia, therefore all the risks are yours”.
Space experts were quick to debunk his theory, pointing out that the space station routinely sails past southern regions of Russia.
In another example, Rogozin threatened to leave the space station for good, leaving the fate of many future missions uncertain.
The future of the ISS
NASA plans to retire the ISS sometime in 2031 by sending it to a so-called “space graveyard” on Earth.
While the ISS won’t last forever, NASA expects to be able to safely operate it until 2030, according to an official NASA report.
Instead, the US space agency wants private companies like Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezo’s Blue Origin to step in and do the job in the future.
“The private sector is technically and financially able to develop and operate commercial low-Earth orbit destinations with help from NASA,” said Phil McAlister, NASA’s director of commercial space.