(WWJ) – Top officials with NASA say the organization is continuing to operate the International Space Station (ISS) as usual alongside Russia and the agency's other partners, but is weighing its options for the future amid Russia's ongoing invasion in Ukraine.
Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday in a series of military attacks, prompting numerous countries (including the United States) to impose economic sanctions. The space program has been affected directly through these sanctions, which U.S. President Joe Biden said would degrade Russia's space program.
Could the Russian invasion sink the International Space Station? Mike Murray, the planetarium manager at Delta College in Bay City, joins WWJ's Erin Vee for "All Over the Space" weekly. On this episode they discuss how the Russian invasion of Ukraine is hindering space operations on a global scale.
“With the unprecedented sanctions that are being dished out to Russia, the equivalent of the NASA administrator for Roscosmos has said … ‘Well how would you like it if we just don’t support the ISS anymore?’” Murray said. “That doesn’t necessarily mean that the ISS would suddenly be abandoned or that it would come down and hit some place on the earth.”
What he’s talking about, Murray says, is the propulsion unit that is attached to the ISS to keep it at the proper altitude. Even if Russia were to pull out, Murray says one of the other partners would step up and help out.
Murray also talked about a new upcoming program at the planetarium that launches on Friday.
More information on the Delta College Planetarium can be found on their website or on their Facebook page.
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