American astronaut may get stranded in space station over Russia tensions
By Kenneth Garger
March 11, 2022 3:57am
An American astronaut aboard the International Space Station is set to return to Earth with two Russian cosmonauts next month — but his trip home has been marred by uncertainty after a Vladimir Putin ally reportedly threatened to leave him behind.
The scheduled return to Earth for US astronaut Mark Vande Hei was thrown into question after Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Russia’s Space Agency, made the threats in a Feb. 26 video that he posted to social media, ABC News reported.
Vande Hei’s warning came after President Biden announced sanctions on Russia in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Biden said the sanctions would “degrade” Russia’s aerospace industry and space program, according to the report.
Vande Hei is scheduled to touch down in Kazakhstan in about three weeks with his two Russian counterparts aboard a Russian spacecraft.
NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei is at risk of being left behind in the International Space Station due to rising tensions between Russia and the United States.
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https://nypost.com/2022/03/11/american-astronaut-mark-vande-hei-may-get-stranded-in-space-station-over-russia-tensions/
