CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Washington Insider Magazine) – Mark Vande Hei, a US astronaut who has spent almost a year in space, is about to embark on his most difficult mission yet: riding a Russian spacecraft down to Earth amid rising tensions between the two countries.
Even though Russia’s war in Ukraine has led to canceled launches, violated contracts, and an escalating exchange of words by the Russian Space Agency’s hardline chief, NASA assures that Vande Hei’s homecoming plans for the end of the month remain unaltered. Many people are concerned that Dmitry Rogozin is jeopardizing decades of peaceful cooperation outside the earth, particularly at the International Space Station.
Vande Hei, who broke the US single record of 340 days on Tuesday, is scheduled to launch alongside 2 Russians onboard a Soyuz capsule on March 30 for a landing in Kazakhstan. By then, the astronaut will have spent 355 days in space, a new American record. According to ABC NEWS, Russia holds the global record for the longest period of time spent in space at 438 days.
Scott Kelly, a retired NASA astronaut who held the world record until Tuesday, is one among those clashing with Rogozin, a longstanding Putin friend. Kelly has surrendered his Russian medal for space research to the Russian Embassy in Washington, upset by the situation in Ukraine.
Kelly believes that, despite the terrible war on Earth, the two countries can keep it together in space.
NASA, as well as the Japanese, Canadian, and European space agencies, plan to keep the space station operational until 2030, but the Russians have not confirmed beyond the initial expiration date of 2024 or thereabouts.
The orbiting station has been permanently inhabited for 21 years by Russia and the United States. Americans used to hitch rides on Russian Soyuz spacecraft for millions of dollars for each seat before SpaceX began flying passengers in 2020.
Kelly believes the 2 countries can keep it together in space, despite the terrible war on the ground.
The Russians have so far not confirmed beyond the planned expiration date of 2024 or thereabouts, whereas NASA, the Japanese, Canadian, and European space agencies all want to keep the space station functional until 2030.
The orbiting station has been permanently inhabited for 21 years by Russia and the United States. Americans used to catch rides on Russian Soyuz spacecraft for several millions of dollars for each seat before SpaceX began flying passengers in 2020. The Russian and American space agencies are all still negotiating a long barter arrangement that would see a Russian launch on a SpaceX spacecraft this autumn and an American go up on the Soyuz. This would assure the presence of Russian and American stations at all times.
Vande Hei, a 55-year-old former Army colonel, arrived at the space station in April after launching alongside Pyotr Dubrov as well as another Russian on a Soyuz spacecraft from Kazakhstan. In October, he and Dubrov remained twice as long as normal to facilitate a Russian film team.
Last month, as the crisis 260 miles (420 kilometers) below deteriorated, Vande Hei admitted to avoiding discussions on Ukraine with Dubrov as well as their Russian commander, Anton Shkaplerov. On Friday, 3 other Russians will take off from Kazakhstan to replace them.
According to NASA, space station activities are continuing as usual – both in orbit and on Earth.
