US not ready for a solo space ride

News: Ukraine crisis is threatening the US-Russia space cooperation. It will have implications for the space programs of US.

The Russian-American space cooperation started with the first Apollo-Soyuz mission in 1975. This area of cooperation withstood the Cold War and several other geopolitical differences between the two nations. International Space Station (ISS) is a shining example of this achievement. However, the recent Ukraine crisis is threatening this cooperation. Following the American sanctions, Russia has decided to stop supplying rocket engines to the US. It might result in some big problems for US Space programs.

What are the dependencies of US on Russia in Space programs?

Rocket Engines: Russia has delivered 122 RD-180 engines to the US since the 1990s. US used 98 engines to power Atlas launch vehicles, which are crucial to the launch of Department of Defense payloads and NASA missions.

ISS Program: Roscosmos and NASA are key partners in the ISS programme, besides the Canadian Space Agency, the European Space Agency, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

The ISS is divided into two orbital segments — American and Russian. The US and Russia keep the science laboratory continuously staffed with astronauts and cosmonauts. The Russian segment is responsible for guidance, navigation, and control of the entire complex.

Also, Russia’s cargo craft provide periodic orbit-raising boosts for the ISS. It ensures that it doesn’t sink too low into Earth’s atmosphere. The American space agency is far from self-reliant in this aspect.

It will be almost unviable for the US to maintain ISS alone. The space industry will be “confronting the very real possibility of a space station gap in this case. It means US will be ceding the control of Earth’s lower orbit to the Chinese, who already have a space station in the development stage.

Transporting astronauts: From 2011 to 2020, the US relied solely on Russia to fly astronauts to the ISS. According to a 2019 Tass report, Nasa purchased $3.9 billion worth of seats from Russia to transport its astronauts to and from the ISS since July 2011.

Source: This post is created based on the article “US not ready for a solo space ride” published in Business Standard on 5th March 2022.