Russia threatens to abandon American astronaut in space as sanctions threaten peace aboard ISS

[Elderberry]

ABC News By Tommy Brooksbank, Jon Schlosberg, Haley Yamada, Gio Benitez and Gina Sunseri 3/11/2022

Russia threatens to abandon American astronaut in space as sanctions threaten peace aboard ISS

The plan is for astronaut Mark Vande Hei to land in Kazakhstan with two Russian cosmonauts on a Russian spacecraft.

Astronaut Mark Vande Hei, who holds the ongoing record for longest space flight, is set to end his 355 days in space in just three weeks. The plan is for him to land in Kazakhstan with two Russian cosmonauts on a Russian spacecraft.

But unprecedented sanctions against Russia could put Vande Hei's return on hold. After Russia invaded Ukraine nearly two weeks ago, President Joe Biden announced new sanctions, including cutting more than half of Russia's high-tech imports.

"It'll degrade their aerospace industry, including their space program," Biden said during a White House address Feb. 24.

Shortly after the remarks, NASA released a statement on U.S.-Russian civil space cooperation, saying that "no changes are planned" and that the agency will continue to support "ongoing in orbit and ground station operations."

Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Russia's Space Agency and a close ally to Russian President Vladimir Putin, responded to Biden in a series of hostile tweets. On Feb. 26, he posted a video in Russian that threatened to leave Vande Hei behind in space and detach Russia's segment of the space station altogether.

Kelly said he felt compelled to speak up and engaged with Rogozin on Twitter.

"I was just enraged that he, the [cosmonauts], said that they were going to leave an American crew member behind. I never thought I would ever hear anything so outrageous," said Kelly.

More: https://abc7.com/russia-international-space-station-mark-vande-hei-iss-american-astronaut/11639556/

[GtHawk]

Is this really much of a threat? Seems like Musk has proven that he can get a capsule up to the ISS quite successfully. I think the only thing that would stop him from getting our people down would be Biden, and that would go over like a lead balloon with Americans.

[Cyber Liberty]

Seems like just 2 weeks ago they were threatening to deorbit the ISS into a populated area....

[ironhorsedriver]

Elon Musk is starting to look like a White Knight, I'm sorry, did I say White? I meant Knight in Shining Armor. He's making a lot of sense lately.
from saving the ISS and an Astronaut, to pushing to drill again. He's the Tesla of our generation.

[mystery-ak]

Elon Musk's Space X Might Need to Rescue an American Astronaut Stranded by Russia
By Duke | Mar 12, 2022 4:45 PM ET

Mr. Elon Musk, it looks like  America and one of her astronauts aboard the International Space Station might need you. You know, the place where your space capsules have gone to a number of times, and have allowed the United States to not depend on the Russians for a lift up and back home.

Yeah, that place.

In what can only be described as living proof that a mess on Earth can leak into space, it seems that the Putin World Tour of ticking off everyone on the ground (except China, Iran, North Korea, and Belarus) has made its way into the heavens.

Approximately 254 miles up, anyway.

While all this mayhem goes on the Big Blue Marble we call Earth, there are astronauts from Russia and the United States looking on at the big, floating rock below, and probably scratching their heads at the madness. They work and live in close quarters, which is probably not a problem most of the time, but nowadays, it might be a tad bit weird.

When a crew transfer happens in the next month, it might get a bit more awkward, after Dmitry Rogozin, who is the head of the Russian Space Agency, made a bit of a veiled threat about not bringing back an American scheduled to leave on the Russian capsule.

more
https://redstate.com/tladuke/2022/03/12/elon-musks-space-x-might-need-to-rescue-an-american-astronaut-stranded-by-russia-n534953

[berdie]

I read that he would be coming back on the Russian space craft.