Russia to pull out of ISS
Yuri Borisov, the new head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, announced on Tuesday that the country plans to withdraw from the International Space Station ISS collaborative project after 2024. Commentators voice concern about the future of the space station and fear the move could be a step towards the militarisation of space flight.
Creative solutions needed
There is no alternative to collaboration between Russia and the US on the ISS, Dnevnik explains:
“It's uncertain whether the station can be operated without the Russian modules. And it's also unclear whether it will be possible to separate those modules from the rest of the ISS, since the entire station is built in such a way that everything is interconnected. Depending on how and when Russia decides to withdraw from the station, the partner nations will face the difficult decision of whether to take the ISS out of orbit completely or seek creative solutions to ensure it stays in space.”
New danger from outer space
According to the Süddeutsche Zeitung Russia's announced pullout does not bode well for world peace:
“Putin the Godfather can strike anywhere. Maybe even in a real and tangible manner. Nineteen countries have military programmes in space. Including Germany. This is mainly for reconnaissance purposes. Whether there are already killer satellites in space that could destroy not only other satellites but also a space station no one knows for sure. There are suspicions that the satellite Kosmos 2499 which Russia launched in 2014 could be armed. If that is the case, then in the year Russia invaded Crimea Putin extended his policy of aggression not only to the whole world but also into space.”