August 02, 2022

Russia Needs Space... From the ISS


Russia Needs Space... From the ISS
The International Space Station.  Wikimedia Commons, NASA

Since 1998, the International Space Station has been a collaborative effort between Russia, the United States, and other countries. However, Russia is threatening to abandon the project.

While the ISS project is set to move forward, the chief of Roskosmos, Yury Borisov,  announced that Russia plans to leave the ISS project after 2024. Borisov added that the construction of a Russian orbital station would become a priority.

Dr. Leroy Chiao, former commander of the ISS, said he does not believe Russia will actually abandon the station, due to funding and time. But what are the risks if Russia does pull out? In non-scientific lingo, the propulsion systems provided by Russia would disappear, and NASA and other space agencies would have to compensate.

Russia has not given NASA any official notification regarding a planned exit from the project, but it's hardly surprising development, given recent tensions resulting from Russia's Ukraine invasion.

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