“We are in a very symbolic show,” confirms a specialist

The assertion of the head of the Russian Space Agency on the possibility of the fall of the International Space Station due to Western sanctions against Russia is an affirmation “A very symbolic offer”, Confirmed on Saturday 12 March on the website of franceinfo Xavier Pasco, Director of the Foundation for Strategic Research (FRS), specializing in space issues. But he pointed out that the station’s program “Always touted as the world’s largest international collaboration, it finds itself in the spotlight in a rather disturbing way.”

According to the head of the Russian Space Agency Dmitry Rogozin, the operation of Russian ships supplying the International Space Station will be disrupted by international sanctions imposed by the West since Russia invaded Ukraine. So the station will be in danger. A theoretically correct statement, Xavier Pasco explains: “The International Space Station loses a few tens of meters of altitude every day, so it must be lifted regularly. This is done using Russian Progress ships that dock with the station’s Russian unit.” “anyways, continue, If we stop this assistance, we will end up with a space station located in the atmosphere.”At the end of “few months”.

However, the specialist in space issues invites us to consider this announcement as From the show: “You have to remember that Dmitriy Rogozin already, as early as 2014, with the first sanctions, indicated that the Russians would stop transporting astronauts to the station, he invited the Americans to use the trampoline.” “I insisted that only the Russians had, at that time, a ship to send astronauts to the station, Xavier Pascoe adds. Since then, the Americans have regained their independence and have been able to transport their own astronauts.

“It was all a penalty game. Moreover, Rogozin himself is targeted with these penalties, which is a huge nuisance factor.”

Xavier Pascoe

in franceinfo

Russian threats do not call into question at the moment Interagency Technical Cooperation, Xavier Pascoe says: “We still have people from NASA in Moscow helping with flight control.” And the scientist assures that the space cooperation sector is also preserved, while a crew consisting of Russians and Americans is currently in orbit.

althoug, “The Americans are beginning to imagine Plan B scenarios.” To supply the International Space Station, Xavier Pascoe explains. “But it will take a few years to design a system that, if the Russians leave, will allow to keep the station in orbit,” Says director of the Foundation for Strategic Research.