After the Russian-Ukrainian crisis turned into a local war, western countries led by the United States imposed unprecedented sanctions on Russia. According to US media reports, recently, the head of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Dmitry Rogozin, shouted to Western countries through social media, saying that the US sanctions against Russia may have a serious impact on the space cooperation project between the two sides.
Rogozin said that if cooperation between the United States and Russia is interrupted, the International Space Station faces the risk of losing control and deorbiting, and may fall into the territory of European and American countries. Rogozin said that even if the International Space Station falls, it is impossible to fall into Russia, and Western countries such as Europe and the United States must bear responsibility for this. The implication is that if the United States does not withdraw its sanctions against Russia, the International Space Station may perish.
However, NASA said it would continue to work with agencies, including the Russian Space Agency, to ensure the normal operation of the International Space Station. The International Space Station is a space cooperation project led by the United States and Russia, with the participation of many countries such as Europe, Japan and Canada.
Construction began in 1998 and was fully completed and put into use in 2010, mainly for human beings to carry out large-scale, multidisciplinary basic and applied scientific research, while providing a place for humans to work and live in the earth orbit for a long time. As the largest space cooperation project in human history, the longest time-consuming and the most involved countries, the International Space Station has played a huge role in human space science research since it was put into use.
At present, the daily maintenance of the International Space Station is mainly responsible for 6 space agencies, namely the National Space Administration of the United States, the Russian Federal Space Agency, the ESA, the Japan Space Development Institute and the Canadian Space Agency, of which the United States and Russia undertake the most maintenance tasks. From the initial construction to the current maintenance operation, the International Space Station has always been inseparable from Russia.
Especially in the past few years, after the decommissioning of the US space shuttle, the manned and cargo spacecraft were still in the research and development and testing stage, and the rotation of personnel and supplies on the International Space Station almost all relied on Russian manned cargo spacecraft. Former NASA astronaut Garrett Riceman told reporters that the relationship between the United States and Russia on the International Space Station is complementary, and no one can do without anyone.
For example, the Russian module cannot work without electricity on the U.S. side, and the U.S. module cannot work without the propulsion system on the Russian side. However, British Prime Minister Johnson has issued a voice of doubt, saying that he is happy to see the United States and Russia cooperate on the International Space Station, but under the current circumstances, the probability of the two countries continuing to maintain normal cooperation is relatively low, and there is great uncertainty about the future of the International Space Station.
If the International Space Station cannot operate, it will hit the United States far more than Russia. It is reported that according to the initial planned service life of the International Space Station, it will end in 2024. In this regard, Russia has prepared plans to retire the International Space Station, while the United States hopes that the International Space Station will continue to be maintained.
In the middle of last year, NASA approved a funding to modernize the International Space Station, hoping that the service life of the International Space Station could be extended to around 2030. At the same time, NASA wants the Russian Federal Space Agency to join the upgrade of the International Space Station, but the Russian side has not yet given a clear response.
Due to the tension between the United States and Russia, coupled with financial constraints, the Russian Federal Space Agency does not seem to be willing to join the NATIONAL AERADA program. If the International Space Station is lost, the space research of the United States and Russia will face different situations, the United States does not have a space station available, but Russia can use China's space station, and China's Tiangong has brought a strong confidence to Russia. It can be said that Rogozin hit the United States and Europe by seven inches this time.
In the middle of last year, with the successful launch of the Shenzhou 12 and 13 manned spacecraft, the construction of the Chinese space station entered the fast lane, and the current large framework has been completed and is expected to be fully completed later this year. At that time, the Chinese space station will break the monopoly of the International Space Station and become the second space laboratory for human beings to operate in space.
The relevant person in charge of the China National Space Administration said that after the completion of the Chinese space station, it will serve all mankind. However, in view of the previous U.S. crackdown on China's space technology, the United States may not need China's space station. At present, The development of Sino-Russian relations is very good, and the cooperation between the two countries in the field of space is also very close, as long as Russia applies, it is not difficult to use the Chinese space station.
Therefore, for Rogozin's warning, the United States is currently the most anxious. At present, the United States does not have any new space station construction plans and actions, and if the International Space Station stops operating, it will be difficult for the United States to find a replacement in a short period of time.
There are only two paths ahead of the United States, one is to stop sanctions against Russia, at least in space, and continue to cooperate with Russia, and the other is to start the construction of a new space station as soon as possible.