The space partnership between Russia and the West may be coming to an end.
OneWeb, a London-based company, announced early Thursday morning that it was suspending launches of its satellites from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
The decision came after Russia's federal space agency, Roscosmos, announced it would not launch 36 OneWeb internet satellites as planned on Friday unless OneWeb guaranteed that the craft would not be used for military purposes.
Satellite photos show a Russian military convoy.
The launches of Russian-built Soyuz rockets have been stopped. The agency will no longer sell rocket engines to the US, according to Dimitry Rogozin. The company says it has enough engines on hand to fly out all remaining Atlas V missions.
Russia's participation in the International Space Station program has long been seen as a symbol of cooperation through trying times on Earth.
The U.S. imposed new economic sanctions on Russia after it invaded Ukraine. The sanctions would have dire consequences for the space lab.
On Wednesday, he posted a link to an interview he did with Russia Today. Russia is responsible for space station navigation, as well as fuel deliveries, according to the interview.
If the American partners continue to be hostile, we will return to the question of the existence of the International Space Station.
The Russian space agency said recently that it will cease cooperation on German-Russian science experiments on the space station, in response to sanctions levied after the invasion of Ukraine. Germany's space agency stopped cooperation with Russia after shutting down its eRosita black hole telescope.
The International Space Station is expected to remain open through the end of the year. The White House has directed NASA to prepare to continue operations of the International Space Station through the year 2030.
In the week since the invasion of Ukraine, Rogozin has broadcast many blustery messages via the app. Bill Nelson, a former US Senator, has emphasized the possibility of continued cooperation on the International Space Station.
Nelson said during a meeting of the NASA Advisory Council that NASA is committed to the seven astronauts and cosmonauts onboard the International Space Station.
The working relationship is under more strain than at any other point in the history of the International Space Station, and it is unclear how well it can hold up.
Mike Wall is the author of Out There, a book about the search for alien life. You can follow him on social media. Follow us on social media.
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