US and Russia still tethered by International Space Station during Ukraine conflict

Image: NASA

Tensions between the US and Russia are more strained than ever here on Earth, prompting concerns that the two countries' longstanding partnership in space could be at risk. NASA and Russia are working together to keep the International Space Station operational, as they have done in the past.

The United States is the biggest working partner in space. NASA and Russia's state space corporation, Roscosmos, operate the International Space Station, which has become the primary space destination for astronauts hailing from America, Russia, and other nations across the globe. The US and Russia have been working together on the International Space Station for nearly three decades now. NASA and Russia worked together on the Apollo-Soyuz test project, as well as on the former Mir space station.

Since the space partnership has been going on for a long time, this is not the first time that Russia and the US have clashed on the ground. During the invasion of Crimea and after Russia blew up its own satellite, NASA and Roscosmos continued to cooperate on the International Space Station. The safety of the crew of the International Space Station is dependent on constant communication between the two organizations.

Four NASA astronauts and two Russian cosmonauts are currently living on the International Space Station. The schedule of the International Space Station has not changed, according to NASA.

It's not really an option to just distance NASA from the Russian space corporation as the situation on the ground becomes more dire.

It seems likely that any planned trips to Russia will be delayed or canceled. There is no trip currently planned by NASA administrator Bill Nelson, despite reports that he would be going to Russia to discuss the operations of the International Space Station.

The most similar situation to the current one occurred in the year 2014). NASA sent a memo to employees telling them to stop talking to Russians. Travel to Russia was stopped for NASA workers and the deputy prime minister of Russia was prevented from entering the United States.

NASA was in a worse position in the year. NASA didn't have a way to deliver people to space without the Space Shuttle, which was retired in 2011. NASA used to rely on Russia's Soyuz rocket to get its astronauts to and from the International Space Station. NASA couldn't completely distance itself from Russia during the invasion of the peninsula, as the agency needed Russia's help.

Photo by Pavel Pavlov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

The situation is different now. Two NASA astronauts were sent to the International Space Station on the company's Crew Dragon in 2020. If NASA wants, it can fly its astronauts solely on Crew Dragon flights. NASA doesn't have a lot of reliance on Russia for civil space programs.

There is a planned crew swap between NASA and Roscosmos, where the two organizations would allow personnel to fly on the other country's passenger vehicles. Russian cosmonauts have not yet flown on the Crew Dragon, despite NASA continuing to fly its astronauts on the Russian Soyuz rocket. The two organizations are in the process of ironing out an arrangement, though nothing has been officially signed. In December, it was announced that a Russian cosmonaut would fly on a Crew Dragon in the fall of 2022, as part of the crew swap. There are three cosmonauts currently in Houston training at NASA's Johnson Space Center, and two NASA astronauts completed training in Russia earlier in February.

It is possible that the agreement could be in jeopardy in the future, but for now it is moving forward.

NASA spends $3 billion on the project every year, and Russia stands to lose more than we do. Harrison says that the Russian space program has no other achievements to point to.

The future of the station is still unresolved, even though it isn't going anywhere anytime soon. In December, the Biden administration announced it would extend the operations of the ISS. There is a similar extension being considered by Roscosmos. The sanctions on two Russian companies need to be lifted before the extension can happen, according to The New York Times. This is a family, where a divorce within a station is not possible.

While condemning US policy, he is still showing his support for the relationship with NASA.

We really value our professional relationship with @NASA, but as а Russian and citizen of Russia, I am completely unhappy with the sometimes openly hostile US policy towards my country.

— РОГОЗИН (@Rogozin) February 22, 2022

The relationship between NASA and the Russian government has faced more tests than ever before. Thousands of pieces of debris were created when the Russian military destroyed one of their own satellites with a ground missile. The crew had to be woken up early and sheltered in place as a precautionary measure. Administrator Nelson spoke with Rogozin about the danger the astronauts faced. He told The New York Times that he was frustrated with the test.

The International Space Station is one of the few things that keeps NASA and Roscosmos together. The first woman and the first person of color will be sent to the surface of the Moon by NASA's new flagship mission called Artemis. The Artemis Accords were developed by NASA as part of the project. The Artemis Accords have been criticized by Rogozin, who compared the agreement to an invasion. He said that Russia and China would work together on the moon.

The astronauts and cosmonauts on board are still working together as planned despite all this turmoil, despite the fact that the space station is still zooming along. Russia plans to launch another crewed flight to the International Space Station in March with an all-planetary crew. It isn't likely to change anytime soon.

I don't think we will see expansions or new developments with Russia.