Russia: Space Station Could Crash Into Sea If Sanctions Continue
By Donald Standeford, Correspondent - Follow -
Date Published: March 12, 2022 1:20PM UTC
Last Modified: March 12, 2022 1:20PM UTC
MOSCOW - Russia says that sanctions on the country could cause the 500 ton Russian segment of the International Space Station to crash into the ocean. The head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos called on Saturday for the sanctions against Russia to be lifted. Russia is now the world's most sanctioned country, overtaking even Iran and North Korea.
Dimitry Rogozin, head of Roscomos said that the sanctions could disrupt the operation of the spacecraft that services the International Space Station, and that the 500 ton Russian segment of the space station that corrects its orbit around the earth could be affected.
If the segment is affected, it could cause the structure to "fall down into the sea or onto land" Rogozin wrote on Telegram. "The Russian segment ensures that the station’s orbit is corrected (on average 11 times a year), including to avoid space debris" he stated.
He pointed out places where it would likely land on a map but noted that it would not likely land in Russia. "But the populations of other countries, especially those led by the ‘dogs of war’, should think about the price of the sanctions against Roscosmos".
Russia transfers crew and supplies to the Russian segment of the International Space Station via the Soyuz spacecraft. Rogozin said that the launcher used for take-off has been "under US sanctions since 2021 and under EU and Canadian sanctions since 2022".
Roscosmos said that it had made an appeal to NASA, as well as the Canadian Space Agency and European Space Agency, "demanding the lifting of illegal sanctions against our companies".
Rogozin also said that Russia would not supply engines for the US Atlas and Antares rockets, saying "Let them soar into space on their broomsticks".
On February 22nd, Russia had 2,754 sanctions against it, which made it the second most sanctioned country in the world, the first country being Iran with 3,616 sanctions against it.
Since that time, Russia has acquired 2,778 more sanctions against it from the United States, as well as countries from around the globe as of five days ago.
