NASA confirms U.S. astronaut will return with cosmonauts on Russian spacecraft later this month

Whereas Russian forces invade Ukraine and the West responds with unprecedented sanctions, an American astronaut is getting ready to hitch a journey with two cosmonauts on a Russian spacecraft again to Earth from the Worldwide Area Station later this month. 

Mark Vande Hei, a retired Military colonel, is about to interrupt the document on Tuesday for the longest steady keep in area by a U.S. astronaut earlier than he departs the ISS on March 30. 

There have been some fears after Russia invaded Ukraine that the cosmonauts would ditch Vande Hei after they return to Earth in a few weeks. 

Dmitry Rogozin, the pinnacle of Russia’s area company Roscosmos and a longtime ally of Putin, posted a video of the US flag being faraway from a Soyuz rocket and has publicly sparred with retired U.S. astronaut Scott Kelly. 

In a tweet that has since been deleted, Rogozin allegedly told Kelly that the “dying of the [ISS] will likely be in your conscience.”

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Russian-state media outlet RIA Novosti additionally shared edited footage from the ISS that seems to point out the cosmonauts waving goodbye to Vande Hei and departing with out him earlier than the Russian section detaches from the remainder of the area station. 

“It form of enraged me that the nation that we had been on this worldwide partnership for 20 years would take the time to make a video to threaten to depart behind one of many crew members they’re liable for,” Kelly advised the Wall Road Journal this week. 

“They agreed to be liable for his security, getting him to the area station and getting him dwelling. For me, that form of simply crossed the road.”

Regardless of the considerations, NASA stated that they’re persevering with to work with their Russian counterparts and Vande Hei will likely be on the Soyuz rocket later this month. 

“Now we have on March thirtieth the return of a Soyuz, a return of Anton, Pyotr, and Mark. And I can let you know for positive Mark is coming dwelling on their Soyuz. We’re in communication with our Russian colleagues. There isn’t any fuzz on that,” Joel Mantalbano, this system supervisor for the ISS, stated at a NASA press convention on Monday.

“Our Roscosmos colleagues have confirmed that they are able to carry the entire crew dwelling. All three of them.”

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Roscosmos additionally stated by Russian-state media that the March 30 return would proceed as deliberate. 

“Roscosmos has by no means let anyone doubt its reliability as a accomplice,” the area company advised TASS. 

The 2 Russians, Pyotr Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov, will land with Vande Hei in Khazakstan later this month. 

Vande Hei and Dubrov initially launched to the ISS final April and are staying twice so long as ordinary to accommodate a Russian movie crew. By the point Vande Hei returns, he can have logged 355 days in area, a brand new U.S. document. 

The Biden administration focused Russia’s air and area business within the first spherical of sanctions after Putin invaded Ukraine final month. 

“We estimate that we are going to minimize off greater than half of Russia’s high-tech imports, and it’ll strike a blow to their skill to proceed to modernize their army. It would degrade their aerospace business, together with their area program,” Biden stated on Feb. 24. 

NASA and area companies in Europe, Japan, and Canada wish to hold the ISS working till 2030, however the Russians haven’t dedicated past 2024. 

The Related Press contributed to this report.