Will The Russians Leave US Astronaut Stranded In Space?

The escalating tensions between the U.S. and Russia over the latter’s war in Ukraine are moving into outer space as the head of the Russian space agency is threatening to leave an American astronaut stranded on the International Space Station (ISS).

What Happened: According to an ABC News report, astronaut Mark Vande Hei is cohabitating the ISS with two Russian cosmonauts; the two countries operate separate sections of the station. The three men were scheduled to return to Earth together in three weeks, with a landing planned in Kazakhstan. For the Vande Hei, it would be the conclusion of a 355-day tenure in the ISS.

In a video posted to social media, Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Rogozin raised the possibility of denying Vande Hei the ride back to Earth, leaving him stranded on the ISS. Rogozin also threatened to detach Russia's segment of the space station, effectively severing its outer space cooperation with the U.S. and other countries that participate in the ISS expeditions.

Related Link: Russia Ukraine Conflict Not Having Impact On NASA's Relationship With Russia, Yet

What Happens Next: On Feb. 24, after the Russian military rolled into Ukraine, President Joe Biden threatened to "degrade their aerospace industry, including their space program."

After Biden’s remarks, NASA released a statement on the U.S.-Russian civil space cooperation that insisted "no changes are planned" to the existing relationship and added it would support "ongoing in-orbit and ground station operations." NASA did not offer public comment on the Rogozin threat regarding Vande Hei.

Prior to the Ukraine invasion, the Russian government had been talking about withdrawing from the ISS by 2025. NASA recently announced its plans to jettison the ISS into the Pacific Ocean by the end of 2031.

Photo: Mark Vande Hei, courtesy of NASA.