The International Space Station (ISS) is the result of international cooperation between Americans, Russians, Europeans, Japanese and Canadians. The ISS continues to be elevated due to the propulsion of Russian ships descending slightly toward Earth and docking there. Facing retaliation against Russia, Dmitry Rogozin, the director general of the Russian space agency Roskosmos, has already issued a tweet in which he threatened not to maintain the ISS in orbit anymore: “If you stop cooperating with us, who will save the ISS from falling out of unrestricted orbit into American or European territory?” However, two Russians remain at the station, and they continue to work with their colleagues, four Americans and a German.

On Saturday, Mr. Rogosin called for the lifting of Western sanctions against Russia, which they believed could lead to the fall of the ISS. According to him, the operation of Russian ships supplying the ISS will be disrupted by sanctions, which, in turn, will affect the Russian part of the service station, among other things, to repair the orbit of the orbital structure. It can cause “Waterfall” or “landing” ISS weighing 500 tons.

On Thursday, US President Joe Biden announced sanctions in retaliation for Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine. These are “Damage their aerospace industry, including their space program, and affect their ability to build ships.”, He declared. The station’s orbital corrections depend on the propulsion system of the Russian spacecraft. But the U.S. division also has essential key functions. This is designed to precisely prevent interdependence “Slides due to message”, Agens France-Presse Julie Badrin-Josek, author of an article on ISS and former professor at St. Petersburg State University. Moreover, Moscow has no intention of severing ties: “If Russia withdraws from the ISS, which is relatively impossible due to the legal framework of the project, it means that it will no longer have a manned space program.”The sociologist adds.

For its part, NASA tried to streamline things, the announcement said “Continue to work with international partners”Including the Russian space agency Roscosmos, “For the protection of current operations” From the ISS. “Despite current conflicts, civil space cooperation remains a bridge”The Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA) tweeted that it is one of the ISS ‘international partners with Japan and Canada.

According to Julie Butterin-Josek, two Russians, four Americans and the Germans currently in orbit at the station are well aware of the current tensions. But their training has taught them to be practical, and most are very much in tune with the international dimension of the project, he underscores.