International Space Station may crash due to western sanctions: Roscosmos

The International Space Station may crash due to the western sanctions imposed on Russia, the country’s space agency Roscosmos said in a warning message to its counterparts. The message also called on countries to lift the sanctions, which were imposed as a consequence of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Roscosmos, said in a social media post that the operations of Russia’s spacecraft responsible for servicing the ISS may be disrupted. 

Also Read: Roscosmos axes joint ISS experiments with Germany in response to sanctions

Media reports suggest that the Russian segment of the spacecraft is responsible for correcting the orbit of the ISS. If the process is disrupted, a 500-tonne structure may “fall down into the sea or onto land”, Rogozin said.

“But the populations of other countries, especially those led by the ‘dogs of war’, should think about the price of the sanctions against Roscosmos”, Rogozin added in the statement, according to reports from AFP.

He illustrated the appeal with a map showing the flight path of the ISS — and a potential fall zone that straddles much of the world but barely touches upon Russia, according to reports from Associated Press.

Also Read: NASA dismisses Russian space agency chief’s ISS warning after US sanctions

However, NASA- -Roscosmos’s American counterpart– said at the onset of the Ukraine invasion that it is looking for ways to keep the International Space Station operational with Russian interference. 

The social media post from Roscomos’ head Dmitry Rogozin was directed towards the space agencies of United States, Canada and Europe. 

Currently, four astronauts are aboard the International Space Station, including two Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov. Three crew members are scheduled to return to Earth on March 30 onboard the Soyuz spacecraft.