Russia decision to quit ISS 'unfortunate development' - US State Dept
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The United States Department of State sees that Russia's decision to opt-out of the International Space Station as "unfortunate".
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Cosmonauts unfurled a Soviet-era victory banner on a recent spacewalk
Washington views Moscow's decision to end its participation in the International Space Station (ISS) as an "unfortunate development", US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Tuesday.
"We've seen Russia's statement that it plans to leave the International Space Station after 2024. It's an unfortunate development given the critical scientific work performed at the ISS, the valuable professional collaboration our space agencies have had over the years, and especially in light of our renewed agreement on spaceflight cooperation," Price said during a press briefing.
The United States was surprised by Moscow's announcement about breaking away from the ISS, Price added.
US exploring options to mitigate impacts on ISS
The United States is reviewing its options to mitigate any potential impacts of Russia's withdrawal from the ISS on the space station, White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said.
Earlier in the day, the new head of Roscosmos, Yuri Borisov, reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin that Russia would fulfill all its international obligations and withdraw from the ISS by 2024.
"We are exploring options, of course, to mitigate any potential impacts on the International Space Station beyond 2024," Kirby revealed during a conference call.
"If in fact, Russia withdraws, that's the responsible thing to do having seen these reports," Kirby revealed.
The US and Russia have agreed to fly each other's spacefarers to the ISS. The agreement comes after months of tensions and ambiguity surrounding collaborative space activity in the aftermath of the war in Ukraine.
The ultimate purpose of the agreement is to ensure that at least one US astronaut and one Russian cosmonaut be present at the ISS to maintain respective sectors of the station, according to Roscosmos.
The apparent breakthrough in NASA-Roscosmos connections comes after months of difficulties caused by the two countries' deteriorating relationship.
Despite the tense US-Russian relations, Marck Vande Hei, a US astronaut that has been in space for 355 days, was confirmed to be returning home aboard a Russian rocket.
