The head of Russia’s area company has recommended American astronauts use “broomsticks” to get into orbit after it halted the availability of rocket engines to the United States.
Dmitry Rogozin, CEO of Roscosmos, made the remarks in an interview on the Rossiya-24 TV community, saying the choice was a response to the sanctions levied by the U.S. after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
“In this situation, we can no longer supply the U.S. with our rocket engines that are the best in the world. Let them fly on something else, like their brooms, or whatever,” Rogozin mentioned, based on the Interfax information company. “But at least we are freezing our shipments.”
According to the Roscosmos head, Russia has delivered 122 RD-180 engines to the U.S. because the Nineteen Nineties, of which 98 have been used to energy Atlas launch autos.
Rogozin additionally advised Rossiya-24 that Russia would cease working with Germany on joint experiments on the International Space Station due to the European nation’s “unacceptable actions,” based on the TASS information company.
His newest interview follows the announcement that Roscosmos is suspending cooperation with the European Space Agency on launches from the spaceport in French Guiana, in retaliation for the sanctions imposed by the European Union.
The EU commissioner for area, Thierry Breton, downplayed the importance of the Russian transfer, saying it will not have penalties for Galileo, the ESA’s satellite tv for pc navigation system, or Copernicus, its Earth statement challenge.
“We will take all relevant decisions in response to this decision in due course and continue developing resolutely the second generation of these two EU sovereign space infrastructures,” Breton mentioned in a press release.
“We are ready to act decisively, together with the member states, to protect these critical infrastructures in case of aggression, and continue to develop Ariane 6 and VegaC to ensure Europe’s strategic autonomy in the area of launchers.”
In London, the U.Okay. authorities has rejected an ultimatum from Russia to promote its share in space-based web service OneWeb with a purpose to enable a satellite tv for pc launch to go forward.
OneWeb has been getting ready to launch 36 satellites right into a low-Earth orbit from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on a Soyuz rocket.
Roscomos sought assurances that the rocket wouldn’t be used for army functions, earlier than declaring that it will not enable the Russian-owned cosmodrome to launch the satellites except the U.Okay. offered its stake in OneWeb.
Britain’s enterprise secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, mentioned no sale would happen. “There’s no negotiation on OneWeb: the U.K. government is not selling its share,” he tweeted on March 2. “We are in touch with other shareholders to discuss next steps.”
Newsweek has contacted NASA for remark.
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