The March rumor that the Russians might abandon an American astronaut aboard the International Space Station made its way to the person in question in a roundabout way.

Mark Vande Hei told the Washington Post that he learned of the rumor through his spouse.

Vande Hei told WaPo that she heard about it from her husband. I chuckled when I heard about it. I said there was no way.

Although he and NASA were not concerned about him being left alone on the International Space Station, his wife took some convincing.

He said that the most difficult conversation was with his wife.

Space Solidarity

Vande Hei defended his Russian crewmates in an interview, and said that they watched an American movie in which all the bad guys were Russians.

He said that it gave him chills even though he looked at his crewmates.

Vande Hei believes that the average Russian or even the elite that become cosmonauts is not a bogeyman.

His wife seems to have needed more reassurance.

The Washington Post has a story about how this astronaut approached U.S.-Russian relations in space.

A cosmonaut who doesn't share Vande Hei's solidarity quit because he didn't want to work for the Americans.