Russian/Ukraine War: Sanctions could crash international space station, Russia warns

The Head of Russian Space Agency, Roscosmos, on Saturday, warned that Western sanctions against Russia could cause the International Space Station to crash.

Roscosmos said the sanctions, some of which predate Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine if not lifted, could affect the operation of Russian spacecraft servicing the ISS.

The Russian segment of the space station, as a result which helps correct its orbit, could be affected, causing the 500-tonne structure to “fall down into the sea or on land”, the Roscosmos chief, Olegovich Rogozin said on Telegram.

“The Russian segment ensures that the stations’ orbit is corrected (on average 11 times a year), including to avoid space debris.

“The populations of other countries, especially those led by the ‘dogs of war’, should think about the price of the sanctions against Roscosmos,”Rogozin said.

He described the countries who imposed sanctions on Russia as “crazy”.

Roscosmos mentioned that it had begged NASA, the Canadian Space Agency and the European Space Agency to lift the illegal sanctions against their companies.

Space is one of the last remaining areas where the United States and Russia continue to cooperate.

Rogozin also disclosed that Moscow would no longer supply the engines for the US Atlas and Antares rockets.

“Let them soar into space on their broomsticks,” he wrote on Telegram.