Russia warns that Western sanctions could disrupt the operations of Russian spacecraft serving the International Space Station (ISS), potentially causing the station to fall into the sea or onto land.
The ISS as seen from SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Endeavour in November 2021. (Photo: NASA).
Dmitry Rogozin, the head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, warned today that sanctions, including those imposed before Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine, could disrupt the operations of Russian spacecraft serving the International Space Station (ISS).
As a result, the Russian segment, which is responsible for adjusting the station’s orbit, could be affected, potentially causing the 500-ton structure to “fall into the sea or onto land”, Roscosmos stated on Telegram.
“The Russian segment ensures that the station’s orbit is adjusted (on average 11 times a year), including avoiding space debris,” he noted, adding that the ISS’s potential landing location may not be in Russia.
“But people in other countries should think about the price of these sanctions,” Rogozin added, describing the countries imposing sanctions as “foolish.”
Launched in 2000, the ISS orbits at an altitude of 420 km above Earth and has hosted over 200 astronauts from 19 countries. NASA has announced that the ISS is scheduled to fall to Earth in an uninhabited area of the South Pacific Ocean in January 2031. Russia plans to withdraw from the ISS project in 2025 and intends to build its own space station, expected to launch in 2030.
