The Russia Thread

[Jacob]

So apparently Russia is pulling out of co-operating on the International Space Station. Makes sense I guess.

[The Brain]

Good.

[Josquius]

So what does that mean?
There's alternatives to soyuz now luckily, nonetheless a lot of that station is Russian, can they shut down the station?

[CountDeMoney]

Not enough dogs to abandon in orbit, I guess.

[Barrister]

The ISS was specifically designed to require both US and Russian components, exactly to prevent this kind of "go it alone" move.

That being said, Dmitri Rogozin (head of Russia's space agency) is full of bluster.  He makes all kinds of threats, and yet Russian and NASA continue to co-operate.  I've seen no news reports that definitely say that Russia is pulling out.

The most important Russian component is the thrusters - they have to fire every once in a while in order to keep the station in orbit.  Russia is required to give 1 year's notice of any pullout, and presumably NASA to jury-rig something to fly up there to keep it in orbit in that time now that they have easy rocket access through SpaceX.

[Jacob]

I don't know if this is definite enough by your metric. Maybe it is still bluster, I don't know: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-30/russia-will-quit-international-space-station-over-sanctions

Russia Will Quit International Space Station Over Sanctions
Russia space agency head says partners to get 12 months notice
Agency had earlier this month threated to end ISS missions

Bloomberg News
April 30, 2022, 3:59 AM PDT

The head of Russia's space program said Moscow will pull out of the International Space Station, state media reported, a move it has blamed on sanctions imposed over the invasion of Ukraine.

"The decision has been taken already, we're not obliged to talk about it publicly," Tass and RIA Novosti reported Roscosmos General Director Dmitry Rogozin as saying in an interview with state TV on Saturday. "I can say this only -- in accordance with our obligations, we'll inform our partners about the end of our work on the ISS with a year's notice."

Rogozin earlier this month threatened to end Russia's mission unless the U.S., European Union and Canada lifted sanctions against enterprises involved in the Russian space industry.

[Barrister]

https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/3475817-nasa-chief-denies-reports-russia-is-exiting-international-space-station/

Dated today.

I'm not saying it won't happen, but it isn't happening yet.

[Jacob]

Russian government officials are so fucking unreliable 

[11B4V]

No orcs in space.

[grumbler]

No orcs in space.

https://www.iflscience.com/space/new-images-reveal-mysteries-of-ghostly-orcs-in-space/

Just ghost orcs.

[11B4V]

 

[grumbler]

    You can find anything on the internet.

[Razgovory]

No orcs in space.

Space orcs are called "scro".

[Solmyr]

Or "Orks".

[Crazy_Ivan80]

No orcs in space.

and if they're grimdark?