Russia Says Space Station Partnership Will End After Two More Years

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As the war in Ukraine has heightened political tensions between the United States and Russia, the head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos has tried to use the two countries' partnership in the Space Station (ISS) as a currency of exchange. Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin demanded that the West end its sanctions against Russia or that the country end its cooperation on the ISS, leaving the partnership in a delicate state. But earlier in July, Rogozin was removed from office and replaced by former Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov. Around the same time, the United States and Russia reached an agreement that Russian cosmonauts would travel to the station aboard SpaceX's Dragon vehicle in exchange for astronauts getting seats on Soyuz launches.

This could have been taken as an indication that the new Roscosmos administration was in a more cooperative mood. Such hopes were dashed on Tuesday, when Borisov announced that Russia would not renew its current commitment to the ISS, which ends in 2024. NASA's current plans include keeping the station occupied until the end of the decade.

Russia has provided a number of modules to the ISS, and its segments house solar panels that contribute to the station's energy budget. More importantly, it provided the thrust that allows the ISS to maintain its orbit, which would otherwise gradually decay. At this time, it is unclear what will happen to Russian hardware when the country leaves the partnership.

Nevertheless, the availability of Dragon-crewed vehicles has made Russian participation less essential than it was just a few years ago. And by meeting its commitments through the end of 2024, Russia will give NASA considerable time to develop alternative plans that could keep the ISS busy until 2030.

According to the New York Times, Borisov told Russian President Vladimir Putin that the 2024 date also gives his country time. "I think at that time we will start training the Russian orbital station," he said.

That seems pretty unrealistic. Roscosmos was strapped for cash long before Western sanctions were imposed on Russia, and those sanctions will make it very difficult for the agency to find paying customers for its launch services. Beyond money, Russia will struggle to gain access to electronics and other high-tech components that would be essential for any new orbital station.

While the announcement removes an element of uncertainty: the years-tense NASA/Roscosmos partnership appears to be coming to an end, many details will still need to be worked out before we know exactly what either the other of the agencies expects it to happen in 2024.