The only place where Russians and Americans meet without tension turns out to be a small space capsule of Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Astronauts from the United States and Russia are currently traveling to the ISS space station together. And this while there is enough tension on earth between the two superpowers. “Astronauts continue to work together, no matter what happens on Earth,” says space expert Rob van den Berg of the Sonnenborgh Observatory Utrecht.
Friends in space, enemies on Earth
The war in Ukraine seems to be escalating more and more, causing further deterioration of the good relations between Russia and the United States. “But in space they are friends,” says Van den Berg. “It must be so, the Russian part of the ISS is essential.”
The ISS has been permanently inhabited by both Russians and Americans since 2000. Moreover, it was Russia that launched the first module into orbit around the Earth. “You can’t just shut down or disconnect the Russians from the station,” Van den Berg explains.
In addition to practical matters, a good relationship between astronauts is literally vital, notes Van den Berg: ‘If they get into trouble, there is often an immediate danger to their lives. They’re not astronauts at all, they’re friends.’
Friends, but until 2030
If you look to the future, you’ll see that good ties in space will probably end after all. “From 2030, Russia wants its own space station,” says Van den Berg. That is also the year that the ISS retires from service and crashes into the ocean in a controlled manner.
However, the question remains whether there really will be a Russian space station. Van den Berg: “I can imagine that now they have something else in mind.”
Source: BNR
Fernando Dowling is an author and political journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. He has a deep understanding of the political landscape and a passion for analyzing the latest political trends and news.
