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Russia to drop out of International Space Station after 2024

81 Comments
By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV and MARCIA DUNN

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81 Comments

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Great news. They should cooperate more with China. China will own the moon soon, so if they have a friendship, China will give them permission to land.

-29 ( +14 / -43 )

Don’t let the hatch hit you on the butt on the way out, Ivan.

Before this was ISS due to funding it was NASAs space station Freedom. The Hubble space telescope? Yeah, we did that back in the early 90s.

Perhaps you have noticed that nifty Webb Telescope that NASA built a million miles from home? Yeah, we did that. You guys got anything remotely like that? Anything?

I think we can handle a satellite in low Earth orbit. Especially, now that Elon is adding value rather than surplus babies.

As for China “owning the moon” (stifles a giggle) - you mean that thing Noel and Buzz landed on last century the year before my birth? THAT Moon? The one we too will RETURN to this decade (behind schedule, I know)?

Fun fact: No country can own the moon by international law. Granted, the PRC doesn’t actually play by the rules if it doesn’t have to but I think this is the kind of thing they might get a bit of pushback on.

“Own” the moon....

8 ( +24 / -16 )

The world is fracturing into military and economic spheres of influence.....Now we are doing the same in space......Humans just can not help themselves from screwing things up.....

28 ( +32 / -4 )

Great news. They should cooperate more with China. China will own the moon soon, so if they have a friendship, China will give them permission to land.

Don't be daft. Look up Outer Space Treaty of 1967

no matter whose national flags are planted on the lunar surface - no nation can 'own' the Moon.

109 nations have signed the treaty with another 23 that signed, but haven't been officially recognized. China fully recognized it in 1984.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_Space_Treaty#Provisions

If any body is selling land on the moon, don't buy it. You are being taken. Just like those charlatans selling star names. Do you pay the $30/yr to be in Who's Who listings? These are about as useful - meaning, not at all.

14 ( +16 / -2 )

good move.

Russia is capable make own space station as did in Soviet times/look for program interkosmos/and sure will cooperate with China which have advanced strong in last decade.dont forget about BRICS as well-these countries are building steady relationship step by step and sure will reach up to space ship programs in near future...

wondering is roskosmos will really leave space station how remaining non russian staff will return back to Earth and how new staff will go from from Earth to space station?

worry as we all know about "american success" in last decade..

-8 ( +14 / -22 )

And then, are they going to join the Chinese space programmes?

4 ( +7 / -3 )

theFu

Today 08:36 am JST

Great news. They should cooperate more with China. China will own the moon soon, so if they have a friendship, China will give them permission to land.

> Don't be daft. Look up Outer Space Treaty of 1967

What you think a treaty is going to stop a country from doing something?

The USA and China are experts at ignoring or unilaterally pulling out of agreements and treaties.

It is a piece of paper with zero power.

-10 ( +13 / -23 )

I think the ISS is scheduled to end in 2030. Will Russia also withdraw the use of its rockets?

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Russian do thing out of spite ,they have nothing else working for them

1 ( +11 / -10 )

Yup, you can’t Weaponize Space against your enemy with them sitting next to you.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

The whole idea of international space cooperation is world peace and the betterment of mankind.

Russia is the complete opposite of this way of thinking.

2 ( +15 / -13 )

Good for Russia.

Go for it.

-3 ( +12 / -15 )

worry as we all know about "american success" in last decade..

You mean like the Mars Pathfinder? Or the Mars Helicopter that we built and didn't even know would work "but sure let's give it a shot" and it has flown 10X longer than it's operational design?

Or the Webb Telescope (built without a scintilla of Russian assistance) that we built, launched and parked in orbit 4 times the distance from the Earth to the Moon and which has produced pictures that make even the Hubble Space Telescope blush?

Or perhaps you were referring to the Entrepreneurial initiative of private American industry which is now launching satellites passengers using reusable boosters for profit?

The Mighty Russian Space "program" got anything, ANYTHING like that? (crickets chirping....)

No, this is Vlad's knickers in a wad again. We don't need the one thing (launch cargo and people into low Earth orbit) anymore, and he wants to try to create pressure to distract from the Cluster-Duck that is his Regime, so he throws this hissy.

That is all it is cause that is all he's got.

-1 ( +12 / -13 )

No country can own the moon by international law.

if you live there you can technically claim it yours. But it is gray area. I tried to buy land on the moon in the Lake of Happiness region. I searched Lunar Registery, Lunar Land and Lunar Embassy. You can actually own the title but have no rights to mining etc, unless you physically live there. So if you actually live there physically, its all yours as much as you want, and at the time being, the legal land deed is only valid on planet earth as the International Court has no juristriction on the Moon. Theoretically, if China, or Russia or the USA settled on the Moon first, they can set up a Moon Constitution, rules and laws, and sell mining rights and control arrivals from Earth and departures to Mars. They can set up taxes, immigration, sanctions and military infrastructure.

interesting times ahead as the moon is flush with rare metals.

-7 ( +7 / -14 )

Russia is capable make own space station as did in Soviet times

Those engineers retired and died a long time ago. Look at photos of Russian aerospace engineering teams, nothing but old gray haired men. The Russians are not training new engineers in their aerospace industriels to replace the old graybeards from Soviet times. Any Russian with engineering talent goes abroad where the pay is so much higher. It is those new engineers fresh out of university who bring new ideas and the latest engineering and software skills with them to their new jobs. Without that new blood those organizations wither and die, which is what is happening to Russia today.

5 ( +18 / -13 )

This was predictable once China started it's own space station the ISS days were numbered and as soon as India announced it was building it's own by 2030 the next to last nail was put into the ISS now Russia hammered in the final nail, the ISS coffin is now sealed.

But to those going " don't let the door hit you on the way out" perhaps reading the article would have been a good thing before commenting.

Will the last cosmonauts simply undock a Soyuz and return to Earth, leaving the Russian-built modules attached? Will they render them inoperable before leaving?

Can these modules even be maintained without Russian know-how?”

Russian spacecraft that arrive at the station with cargo and crew members are used to help align the station and raise its orbit.

Seems that Russia leaving isn't as simple as some here think it is.

-7 ( +9 / -16 )

And there are still some people who don't believe that communist is a threat to the whole human race.

Russians pulling out from this joint effort to get out of here might give it a hint to solve Fermi paradox, you can only imagine that in other entirely communist worlds out there civilizations get stuck on the same rock forever until some event seal their brief existence in the universe.

-12 ( +3 / -15 )

interesting times ahead as the moon is flush with rare metals.

So is the seabed right off Japan. Which to you think is going to be easier to mine?

10 ( +11 / -1 )

*Will the last cosmonauts simply undock a Soyuz and return to Earth, leaving the Russian-built modules attached? *Will they render them inoperable before leaving?

Can these modules even be maintained without Russian know-how?”

Russian spacecraft that arrive at the station with cargo and crew members are used to help align the station and raise its orbit.

It's called problem solving and we will figure it out, thanks.

It's not like the Russians are the only ones that can do orbital mechanics. We chose to use them because they were cheap. Now that they are no longer reliable partners (to the extent that they ever were), we will handle it ourselves. Seems that I remember doing that before.....

And Dessert is correct as usual. The "mighty" Russian space program is a shell of the former Soviet Behemoth that failed to match Nasa, so....

-3 ( +7 / -10 )

And Dessert is correct as usual. The "mighty" Russian space program is a shell of the former Soviet Behemoth that failed to match Nasa, so....

Funny comment as NASA must rely on Russian rockets to get there.

-2 ( +11 / -13 )

Funny comment as NASA must rely on Russian rockets to get there.

Except we don't. We did but now we have Space X and can do it more cheaply. But thanks for playing. We have some knock-off goods as a parting gift for you.

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/science-technology/spacex-launches-rocket-to-resupply-international-space-station/2637260#:~:text=The%20rocket%20blasted%20off%20from,International%20Space%20Station%20(ISS).

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

The Russians say they will build their own space station. Well let's hope it worked out better than MIR which had multiple de-pressurization events, a fire, part of which had to be sealed off and abandoned after a collision with a run of the mill supply ship while docking.

In the end, didn't the entire thing have to be abandoned and de-orbited? I think it did....

World leading space program indeed. More like free-riders on a global endeavor offering a one-trick pony in order to get a ticket (low orbit non-reusable launch vehicles.)

-1 ( +8 / -9 )

It's called problem solving and we will figure it out, thanks.

Sure and that is why the USA and most of the west depend on Chinese products.

The USA delusions of grandeur continue.

Great the USA will hang on to this crumbling space debris while China and even India will have brand new state of the art ones. ( China is set to complete their space station early and be operational by the end of the year)

Sounds like what the USA these days on everything, just cannot move forward on everything from fossil fuels to healthcare now old space stations

-7 ( +9 / -16 )

Nemo

Today 09:55 am JST

Funny comment as NASA must rely on Russian rockets to get there.

> Except we don't. We did but now we have Space X

Ah no it still does.

Russian spacecraft that arrive at the station with cargo and crew members are used to help align the station and raise its orbit.

I am going to take a guess that part is designed to be done while hooked to the Russian side.

Good luck with space X doing the Job!

The Soyuz MS-18 is twice the weight and has far more thrusting power than the SpaceX capsule.

So that will be interesting to see

-6 ( +8 / -14 )

The US is the leading country for technology. Both Russia and China are lagging behind. China tries to steal the technology.

The ISS will become an AirBnB for billionaire tourists.

3 ( +10 / -7 )

Sounds like what the USA these days on everything, just cannot move forward on everything from fossil fuels to healthcare now old space stations

Keep beating that drum, Antique (how fitting....)

I have seen tin-pot one -trick ponies come and go throughout my life and read about them from before my time.

"This is the end of America!" "THIS time we mean it!" "America is exhausted, weak, spoiled (blah blah blah lather, rinse, repeat)"

They all seem to end up on the dust bin of history.

Granted, we really shouldn't take the easy way out and rely on cheap (as in low cost and quality) Chinese "goods", and yeah, we really should move forward not only when the latest Vladie-come-lately decides to throw a hissy.

But as CURRENT space work proves, the idea that NASA is in anyway 2nd rate to anyone or that we really NEED to depend on the Russians is just laughable.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

interesting times ahead as the moon is flush with rare metals.

So is the seabed right off Japan. Which to you think is going to be easier to mine?

AND unlike the Moon, rights to them CAN actually be legally claimed and actually defended. So there's that...

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Nemo

Today 10:15 am JST

Fitting the Nemo is Latin for no one/nobody.

The USA is acting like Imperial Rome in it's final years still boasting of its past accomplishments, relying on non Romans to defend it with promises of becoming Roman and a corrupt elite taking more and more while the poor get poorer.

-1 ( +9 / -10 )

Putin is weaponizing space.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

So much ignorance in the comment section, wow.

I'm just sad that politics have to ruin innovation and space exploration.

11 ( +11 / -0 )

Except we don't. We did but now we have Space X and can do it more cheaply. But thanks for playing. We have some knock-off goods as a parting gift for you.

LOL

Who is “we”? You don’t. Elon has it.

The US and the US air forces have been relying on Russian rockets for 20 years. Something tells me you know this and now running around like a puppy about Elons and others new tech.

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

Fitting the Nemo is Latin for no one/nobody.

Actually "No name" depending on the translation. That is why I chose it.

The USA is acting like Imperial Rome in it's final years still boasting of its past accomplishments

Mars Pathfinder, Space X and Webb are hardly "past" accomplishments. They are very much "current" and go beyond anything the Russians or Chinese do or dream of doing. But pray, keep talking.

relying on non Romans to defend it with promises of becoming Roman and a corrupt elite taking more and more while the poor get poorer.

Fact check: True. Regrettably true. And yet.....

Unlike the tin-pot dictators that this lot seems to admire, we Americans will (if given enough time and enough bruises) EVENTUALLY take a good look in the mirror and undertake corrective action. Vlad and Pooh, not so much.

This is the essence of American that the dictators and their ilk never seem to recognize and history is filled with their graves. Hitler, Mussolini, Hideki Tojo (Yamamoto got the memo but nobody would listen to him), Kim Il Sung and Mao in Korea, The "mighty" Warsaw Pact and their Soviet overlords (Ever wonder why almost nobody ever emigrated TO the Soviet Union? I don't), Saddam, Muamar, Osama. Somehow they all missed the memo on underestimating America. Didn't work out so well for them.

And THIS isn't even existential, it's a space station. Yeah, I think we can handle this without Russian assistance.

-4 ( +6 / -10 )

wallace

Today 10:25 am JST

Putin is weaponizing space

Really?

You do realise those HIMARS missiles work by using USA targeting satellites, right?

This is possible because the USA uses a loophole in the non weaponization of space agreement.

The USA says the satellites themselves are not weapons therefore technically the USA hasn't broken any agreement.

-5 ( +6 / -11 )

So what will happen in 2024 if Putin's mate wins the American elections? Stay or go?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

“I think that by that time we will start forming a Russian orbiting station.”

This is kind of cute.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

I am happy about it. There is no need to cooperate with Russia, all we need is disengagement and war. We need to go back to the Cold War and not waste most of our money on nonsense. People running away from war will only make the problem worse, if you don't kill a dictatorship by force, then the dictatorship will make more weapons, which will increase the cost of war.

-7 ( +3 / -10 )

This is the essence of American that the dictators and their ilk never seem to recognize and history is filled with their graves. Hitler, Mussolini, Hideki Tojo

Thanks for proving Godwin's law is alive and well.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law

Next pull out the McCarthy "Communist" Red scare stuff.

-3 ( +7 / -10 )

The Russians would do well by becoming China's little sidekick. Slavery for shared progress.

-7 ( +5 / -12 )

*Former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent 340 continuous days aboard the International Space Station in 2015 and 2016, said that the Russian statement “could be just more bluster,” noting that ”after 2024" is vague and open-ended.*

Yep, 2024 election results will determine the final decision..

3 ( +3 / -0 )

The USA is acting like Imperial Rome in it's final years still boasting of its past accomplishments, relying on non Romans to defend it with promises of becoming Roman and a corrupt elite taking more and more while the poor get poorer.

This is a far more accurate description of Russia than it is of the US. Its a former power stuck in a steep decline - way steeper than the US - that is laser-focused on its past accomplishments (winning WW2). Its launching wars of conquest against neighbors that it views as "lost territory", now relying mainly on peripheral minorities or proxy forces to replace its losses. And its entire government structure is little more than a vehicle for corrupt looting of the country's own assets while giving its own people a meagre standard of living and promising to make it far far worse as it pursues an idiotic war it doesn't seem to have the ability to win.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

NASA had no immediate comment.

Better consult JT experts

0 ( +2 / -2 )

They should cooperate more with China

Cooperate beyond just their current respective roles in Ukraine? The China/Russia/Iran powered bloc are setting up to be the most destructive empire in modern history, especially given they have such a stranglehold on the resources needed to keep the fossil economy booming, in every sense of that word.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

I didn't know there were so many rocket scientists.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

The China/Russia/Iran powered bloc are setting up to be the most destructive empire in modern history

What are they planning to do?

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Except we don't. We did but now we have Space X and can do it more cheaply.

Unfortunately it's not that simple. The Dragon capsule was never designed to fully replace the Soyuz. It can't push the station back into higher orbit like the Soyuz does on each visit. Without this boost every few months, the station's orbit would gradually degrade until it fell back to earth. The Soyuz is like a powerful tow truck while Dragon is just a small kei car for passengers.

NASA does have cargo capsules that are designed to boost the station but launching these every few months in addition to manned Dragon capsules would be extremely expensive and wasteful. Unless Elon can design and test a larger more powerful Dragon capsule in the next 18 months, it could be a problem.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Unfortunately it's not that simple. 

Yep, it's rocket science

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The Dragon capsule was never designed to fully replace the Soyuz. It can't push the station back into higher orbit like the Soyuz does on each visit. Without this boost every few months, the station's orbit would gradually degrade until it fell back to earth. The Soyuz is like a powerful tow truck while Dragon is just a small kei car for passengers.

NASA does have cargo capsules that are designed to boost the station but launching these every few months in addition to manned Dragon capsules would be extremely expensive and wasteful. Unless Elon can design and test a larger more powerful Dragon capsule in the next 18 months, it could be a problem.

Noted and acknowledged. Sounds like a problem for engineers not Russians or anyone else with a political ax to grind. As I previously mentioned, we figured this out before. Seems like we can do it again.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Oh well, the Space X Dragon capsule unlike a Tesla EV, comes with a fully functional autonomous driving system.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Very difficult problem as there are actually two at least that need to be worked on.

How to keep the station in orbit and in case the plan fails or is not possible, how to dispose/decommission safely.

Would be alot easier but still difficult to just work on the latter

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

And if Russia doesn't actually have the resources to build its own space station then its scientists and engineers would be idle and available for hire, conceivably by other countries to build something that we don't want

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Very progressive behavior there from Russia, bravo.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Space X hasn't been in operation for very long so how dependable it is has yet to be determined

The USA is floundering and its foreseeable more countries will be giving the USA a disconnect in more areas than just the space station.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

The Russians with the high-tech knowledge and experience are already leaving Russia and are opposed to Putin's war.

Splendid

2 ( +6 / -4 )

Now here is a fun piece of information.

The Russian part could be fully detached and continue functioning at reduced power seeing it gets most of its power from the USA section. So all the Russians have to do is send up a power generating section to get full functionality.

But the USA depend on the Russian section to maintain orbit and not just the boost regularly given by the Soyuz MS 18 capsule.

It also seems that the Russians already have another module ready that was supposed to be sent to the ISS but didn't (politics) so detaching the Russian section and sending this ready and waiting module to connect with the Russian section would mean that Russia has a working Space station while the USA tries to figure out how to keep their section from falling to earth.

Now understand this simple point, the USA would need to design, build launch and install a new section by 2024 basically 18 months!

Russia module is fully self-sufficient and a power module was built years ago and sitting in a warehouse in Russia.

-4 ( +6 / -10 )

Funny comment as NASA must rely on Russian rockets to get there.

What? There are 2 American companies taking astronauts to the ISS today. Perhaps you missed all those flights the last 2 years? The propaganda is strong in this one - or the Russian internet censorship - hard to tell which. Maybe reference this: https://www.nasa.gov/content/commercial-crew-program-overview - SpaceX is certified (capsule and Falcon9 rocket). Boeing is nearing certification of their crew capsule launched on a ULA rocket.

When the STS was retired in 2011, until SpaceX had a certified crew carrier, it is true that Russia was the only man-rated way to get crews (and visitors) to the ISS.

Russia (really the USSR) has much to be proud of when it comes to space achievements, but so does America and China is building their own achievements as are a multitude of others - India, France, Germany, Canada, Japan, with others joining all the time.

When anyone, doesn't matter who, does something amazing in peaceful spaceflight, I'm happy to cheer for those accomplishments. It is only a competition if the political leaders need it to be a competition. The crews on the ISS now are all pawns to their political leaders, but they are 100% reliant on each other.

I wish China were more careful deorbiting huge space parts, but other countries sometimes let some of their space parts drop where they may too - including the US. In the US, there is a formal waiver process for it, not that it really matters. "Costs" are usually the reason for the waiver - along with classified payloads.

Military space concerns me. The US is the leader and has tested nearly all the things that China and Russia are testing now multiple decades ago. Some of those tests lead to Congress passing laws to prevent specific space weapons from being used. No other countries appear to have those limitations. The US also has some X-37Bs. The missions are classified but experts believe the missions are for testing new sensors and next gen-satellite tech in space by performing long duration testing. More about spying than breaking things and killing people. The problem with satellites and orbits is that everyone can track what is where pretty easily, so it isn't like all the satellite missions from all the players aren't being watched, from space.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Another stupid move by Putin.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

The Russians with the high-tech knowledge and experience are already leaving Russia and are opposed to Putin's war.

Nice of Putin to let them go, if they're not at war probably would have thrown a going away party too

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Cosmic divorce. Can the ISS survive without Russia?

> https://universemagazine.com/en/cosmic-divorce-can-the-iss-survive-without-russia/

Published by NASA with a lot of if, maybe, but, if again, and MONEY s lot and a lot of " if we (NASA) are given a fleet load of money"

And all of if based on as long as the Russian don't actually detach and rip out what is theirs.

Oh and not mentioned Zarya module which technically was purchased by NASA is 100% maintained under contract by Russia, contract that also ends when or if Russia pulls out.

If the information comes from the USA government or Russian government look elsewhere.

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

Although it was built by a Russian company, it is owned 100% by the United States.

> Zarya (ISS module)

And what part of:

maintained under contract by Russia, contract that also ends when or if Russia pulls out.

Wasn't clear?

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

There are no technical difficulties American scientists and engineers can not solve.

Funny.

So when a Russian made seal starts to fail, it will be interesting to see how an American company without the extra measurements and materials is going to create a new one, and that would be a simple thing to fix.

Ah the America the great thing again.

Funny but they can't even build cars better than Japan or South Korea but "America the great".

Raised right next to the USA amazing how they go on and on how great they are, hearing how America won the war in WW2 funny thing how it only joined 2 years in and The UK, Canada Australia and New Zealand held the line while the USA twiddled its thumbs!

But hey it is Russia the king of propaganda, right? No the USA is the world leader in that!

0 ( +7 / -7 )

Antique is bitter about America kicking Russian arse all these years.

Your tears taste good.

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

The International Space Station, is or was a collaboration between cosmonauts and scientists.

A sad reminder one man, a former KGB colonel, can dismantle years of glasnost, peace.  

Putin The New Tsar (BBC documentary)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b1OEkIpP1E

2 ( +8 / -6 )

There are no technical difficulties American scientists and engineers can not solve.

No problems then

0 ( +3 / -3 )

RodneyToday 07:45 am JST

Great news. They should cooperate more with China. China will own the moon soon, so if they have a friendship, China will give them permission to land.

Considering the US has owned the moon since the sixties, China must first lease some of it off America in order to give Russia permission to land.

It is such a shame that Putin is much more interested in conflict than cooperation, as it was always a point of hope that Russia was able to work with the US and international community in space.

If Russia has a space base, and China has a space base, Europe and America will have a space base, I wonder which earth based company will build the first "fly through" fast food joint in orbit to cater to spacemen and women from all bases in orbit. It may be based in a space hotel in orbit. Would you like space fries with that order?

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

So when a Russian made seal starts to fail, it will be interesting to see how an American company without the extra measurements and materials is going to create a new one, and that would be a simple thing to fix.

It's called duct tape and it fixes anything.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

SuperLib

Today 03:33 pm JST

Antique is bitter about America kicking Russian arse all these years.

> Your tears taste good.

Sure like the USA won WW2 all by itself after the British held back the tide for 2 years and after the Soviet Union pound Germany on the ground for over 3 year before the USA even dared set foot in Europe.

Nice to have others fight your battles for you, isn't that what the USA is using Ukrainian for!?

-2 ( +7 / -9 )

It's called duct tape and it fixes anything.

Funny thing about duct tape is that it is great for everything but fixing ducts. Ask any HVAC repair person!

But if you want to be in a space station held together with duct tape great, not sure many scientists are that willing

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Of course, Russia could simply be intending to partner up with the other space capable states that the US and EU are feuding with, which includes China who's new space station was just expanded a few days ago.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

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