Western Space Agencies Refuse to Deal With Sanctions on Russian Space Industry - Roscosmos

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd April, 2022) The head of the US, European and Canadian space agencies have refused to deal with the crippling sanctions on the Russian space industry, Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin said on Saturday.

Rogozin published letters by NASA administrator Bill Nelson, the European Space Agency CEO Josef Aschbacher and the Canadian Space Agency chief exec Lisa Campbell, saying their responses were "almost identical."

Nelson wrote that "NASA will continue to work with relevant US Federal departments and agencies to facilitate continued cooperation on and operation of the ISS... Sustaining safe and successful ISS operations remains a priority for the United States."

Campbell said that while CSA had not direct cooperation with the sanctioned Russian engineering companies "we will continue to work with the relevant Canadian Government organizations to facilitate continued cooperation and operation of the ISS.

"

ESA's Aschbacher said he would forward the request on mediation in lifting sanctions on the Russian space industry to the ESA member states "as these matters falls under their responsibility."

Rozogin lashed back at Aschbacher, saying that while the 28 member state bureaucracies were dealing with the issue the International Space Station would "die its natural death."

He argued that the responses showed that the West would not have sanctions on the Russian space industry scrapped but he suggested that these restrictions would not work in areas where Russian participation in the ISS project was critical.