Russia has announced its plan to ban the United States on the International Space Station (ISS) and rocket engine use beyond 2020. The decision was made in response to sanctions imposed by the United States during the height of the Ukraine crisis.
Russia's deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin has responded to the sanctions over the annexing of Crimea. He announced that officials will disallow the use of the ISS, as well as stop its rocket engines from launching US military satellites.
It was previously reported that NASA had suspended its space contracts with Russia due to the escalating situation in Ukraine, followed by an injunction released by the US Court impeding the United Launch Alliance (ULA) from purchasing Russian-made rocket engines for their space flights.
"These sanctions are out of place and inappropriate. We have enough of our own problems," Rogozin said in a report by The Telegraph. He stated that US plans to stop export licenses for some high-technology products hurt the Russian industry. Russia is also planning to make changes in its space industry beyond 2020 and is keen to shift money and intellectual resources to a different project, he said.
The announcement includes NK-33 and RD-180 engines that Russia provides to the United States. Russia is still willing to deliver the engines, but is banning them from being used to launch military satellites. RD-180 engines are used to launch Atlas 5 rockets made by the United Launch Alliance - the Lockheed Martin and Boeing partnership that has a lock on US military satellite launches.
Rogozin further emphasized that Russia can still operate the space station without the United States, but not the other way around.
"The Russian segment can exist independently from the American one. The U.S. one cannot," he stated.
NASA is currently developing space taxis to restore US transport to the space station by 2017. The space agency currently pays Russia $60 million per person to bring astronauts out.
