Russian Space Agency Tweets Bizarre Video Showing Russian Modules Detaching From International Space Station
By MATT WILLIAMS, UNIVERSE TODAY
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| International Space Station as seen from Space Shuttle Discovery during STS-119. Credit: NASA |
The world is on high alert because of the unfolding crisis between Ukraine and Russia. Ever since Russian troops began deploying to the border regions between the two countries, there have been fears that conflict would ensue.
Since the invasion began, there have also been genuine anxieties that it could spill over into neighboring states and even escalate to the point of a nuclear standoff. In the midst of all this, there have also been worries about the toll it might take on international efforts in space.
The International Space Station (ISS) is made possible through the cooperative efforts and funding of its participating space agencies – NASA (U.S.), Roscosmos (Russia), the ESA (Europe), the CSA (Canada), and JAXA (Japan).
As such, it was
rather curious when Russian state media company RIA Novosti posted a video online that showed Russian
cosmonauts packing up and detaching the Russian
segment from the ISS. Whether this represents a threat or a
prediction, the message is clear: cooperation in space may be the next casualty
of this war!
The video then shows the Russian segment – made up of the Zarya, Zvesta, and Nauka modules – detaching from the station (which
includes real footage and CGI-animation) and footage of mission controllers at
the RKA Mission Control
Centre in Moscow watch and applaud. The video concludes
with the disclaimer: “This is based on unreal events.” In other words, the
video consists of spliced footage depicting something that hasn’t actually
happened (just in case that wasn’t clear!)
This video appears to be the latest salvo in an ongoing war of
words between Russian sources and astronauts on social media. On the same day
that NASA Watch retweeted
the video, Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin tweeted the following statement:
“The blame for the collapse of cooperation in space lies on the shoulders of the United States, Britain, France and Germany. These countries destroyed what was created by mankind with such difficulty, what was created by the blood and sweat of those people who mastered space.”
This echoed statements he made in an interview with Russian state
television (the clip was included in the tweet). It was also mirrored by
multiple statements and actions taken by Rogozin in recent weeks, all of which
appeared to show how Russia could threaten or hold up operations aboard the
ISS. It all began with Rogozin tweeting his support for Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine and threatening to stop cooperating on the ISS.
These include (but are not limited to) announcing that Russia
will no longer service
Russian-made engines used to launch American satellites.
Shortly after U.S. President Joe Biden announced sanctions aimed at Russia’s
aerospace industry, Rogozin issued a series of hostile tweets. In one, posted
on Feb. 24th, he went as far as to say that without Roscosmos, the ISS could
fall on Europe:
“Europe? There is also the option of dropping a 500-ton structure to India and China. Do you want to threaten them with such a prospect? The ISS does not fly over Russia, so all the risks are yours. Are you ready for them? Gentlemen, when planning sanctions, check those who generate them for illness.”
On February 27th,
while arguing with a user who voiced criticism of his support for Putin and the
invasion of Ukraine, he tweeted: “Reading the news feed, you see what chronic
hatred the West has for Russia, and how every Russophobe is trying to interrupt
the “common cause” with a personal contribution of his own s*** and poison.”
But it was the video he posted on March 2nd that
appeared to have the biggest impact. In this video, technicians at the Baikonur
Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan are shown taping over the American and Japanese flag
decals on a Russian rocket, with the caption: “The launchers at Baikonur
decided that without the flags of some countries, our rocket would look more
beautiful.”
This barb referenced how the multinational fast food conglomerate
recently decided to suspend operations in
Russia (along with Coca-Cola and Starbucks). Kelly took
things up a notch, reposting a hostile tweet that
Rogozin appeared to have posted angrily, then deleted. The row ended with Kelly
triumphantly posting the notification that Rogozin had blocked him.
In the world of social media, I believe this is what is called “check and
mate!”
At this juncture, it’s impossible to predict how this unfolding
conflict will end or how it will impact the ISS and other space programs. For
over 20 years, the ISS has been a symbol of cooperation between the nations and
their respective space programs. In 2014, relations were similarly strained
between Russia and the west because of the situation of Crimea (where Russian
forces annexed the peninsula in response to the ouster of then-pro-Russian
President Viktor Yanukovych).
Despite that, Russian declared in 2015 that its modules would
remain with the ISS until 2024.
At present, many still hope Russia can be persuaded to maintain that commitment
until its planned decommission date of 2030. Granted, the ISS has never been above
politics or disputes between its member nations. Still, amid all the death and
destruction happening right now, it is tragic to see that the conflict could
also spill over into space!
Originally published on Universe Today.
