Relations between the two countries are tense, and Russia will still "take home" American astronauts

Recently, the United States and Russia have engaged in fierce confrontation over the situation in Ukraine. As geopolitical tensions escalate, cooperation between the two powers in space could be affected, raising concerns.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said on the 14th that the plan of an American astronaut scheduled to return to Earth by Russian spacecraft at the end of this month has not changed, and the cooperation between the United States and Russia around the International Space Station has not been affected.

The schedule remains unchanged

Last April, NASA astronaut Mark Van der Hai boarded the Russian Soyuz spacecraft on the International Space Station. Today (March 15) is the 340th day of his stay, breaking the record for a single space voyage by an American astronaut.

According to the plan, Van der Hai will return to Earth on the 30th of this month with Russian astronauts Peter Dubrov and Anton Shkaprerov in another Soyuz spacecraft. CBS pointed out that Van der Hai had previously set off on a Russian spacecraft, so the clothing he wore on his return was incompatible with the life support system on other spacecraft, including the SpaceX spacecraft, which meant that he could not return in his "own" spacecraft.

However, the plan could not keep up with the changes. As geopolitical tensions escalate, there are fears that Van der Hay's plans to "go home" could change. Van der Mermi admits that he avoids talking to Russian astronauts about Ukraine.

Yesterday, Joel Montalbano, NASA's director of space station programs, gave a "reassurance pill." He said NASA maintained communication with the Russian National Space Corporation and that the three crew members would return as planned. The new team of three other people is scheduled to depart from Kazakhstan on the 18th to the International Space Station to "change shifts".

It is reported that when the American astronauts return to Earth in the Soyuz spacecraft, NASA will send a task force to the landing site in Kazakhstan. After an initial medical examination, support staff will bring the astronauts back to the United States to re-adjust to life on Earth.

At the same time, the Russian side has also sent a similar signal. Russia's TASS news agency reported on the 14th: "The Russian National Space Corporation has never given partners any opportunity to doubt its reliability."

The US Capitol Hill newspaper bluntly said: "Russia will not leave American astronauts on the International Space Station."

Interdependence

Recently, U.S.-Russia relations have further deteriorated due to the situation in Ukraine. On the International Space Station, about 400 kilometers above the Earth's surface, four American astronauts, two Russian astronauts and one German astronaut are still working together in a microgravity environment.

"Do they know what's going on here on Earth? Absolutely. But these teams are professional. They are trained to get the job done. Montalbano said that the cooperation between the United States and Russia around the International Space Station has not been affected.

Montalbano noted: "The design of the ISS is based on interdependence. Each partner has their own different capabilities and we work together. In this process, one group cannot be separated from another. ”

It is reported that in order to ensure the normal operation of the International Space Station, Russia provides propulsion and other forces, while the United States provides support such as electricity. This interdependence can be traced back to the end of the Cold War, when the United States and Russia decided to join forces with a number of other countries to build the International Space Station. For more than two decades, space has also been one of the few areas where the United States and Russia have worked closely together.

After the U.S. space shuttle was decommissioned in 2011, the U.S. side purchased a Russian "ferry ticket" and relied on the Soyuz spacecraft to transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station. But in 2020, after the US "space shuttle" - SpaceX "Dragon" spacecraft set sail, this situation changed.

At present, NASA is still negotiating a new "crew exchange" agreement with the Russian Space Agency. Under such agreements, American astronauts can ride on the Soyuz spacecraft, and Russian astronauts can ride on the Dragon spacecraft for free.

"There are no national boundaries in space ... The International Space Station is regarded as the flagship of international cooperation. Montalbano said.

Flagship of cooperation

However, in the long run, there are different views on how the geopolitical situation will affect the US-Russia space cooperation.

On the one hand, there are concerns that the partnership between the United States and Russia in outer space for more than two decades may be in danger.

According to Reuters, US President Joe Biden announced on February 24 that he would impose high-tech export restrictions on Russia, saying the restrictions were intended to "weaken" Russia's aerospace industry, including its space program. A week later, the Russian side announced that it would stop providing Russian-made rocket engines and related services to two NASA-doing NASA aerospace companies.

Former American astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper believes the situation is less optimistic. At present, the West is sanctioning Russia, and many companies are exiting the Russian market. At the same time, the U.S. government and space agency are still cooperating with russia. "You can't push a button and split things in two."

"If we can't continue to conduct peace operations in space, it will be a sad day for international cooperation," said Kathy Lueders, NASA's director of manned spaceflight, adding that it would be "very difficult" to act alone.

However, Scott Kelly, a retired American astronaut, believes that despite the conflict on Earth, he believes that the United States and Russia "can unite" in space.

"We need to set an example so that two countries that have been less friendly in history can still live in peace somewhere." This place is the International Space Station. That's why we need to fight to keep it," Kelly told The Associated Press.

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