Russia has threatened, among other things, with the downsizing of the International Space Station. Other space powers are now having to reconsider their relationship with Russia, says Jaan Praks, assistant professor of space technology.
Russia’s attack on Ukraine will challenge international space cooperation, says the assistant professor Jaan Praks From the Department of Electronics and Nanotechnology at Aalto University.
– World upheavals are also revolutionizing space research and commercial cooperation. This has very significant consequences for the European Space Agency, among others, Praks says in an interview with Radio Finland Day.
According to the practice, the sanctions are reflected, for example, in the joint ExoMars probe project between Europe and Russia. The European Space Agency’s Esa and the Russian space administration Roskosmos ATV were scheduled to depart for Mars in September. According to Esa, the timetable seems very unlikely after the Russian invasion.
– It is possible that the Russians will withdraw from the project completely. That could mean that maybe the mission will never go away, Praks estimates.
Russia has already threatened to withdraw from the International Space Station (ISS). Director of the Russian Space Administration Roskosmos Dmitri Rogozin tweeted last week that the ISS could crash into the ground without Russian help. The comments were prompted by economic sanctions imposed by the US on its ISS partner.
– The situation is complicated. How will the cooperation continue? How long will the International Space Station be maintained? That’s a question mark, Praks says.
Yesterday, Rogozin, for his part, announced that Russia would no longer supply rocket engines to the United States. Rogozin said at the same time that the Russian space administration will continue to focus on manufacturing satellites for military purposes.
Military action is spreading into space
Our infrastructure and daily lives depend on different location and information systems. According to Praks, space information systems have also played a significant role in managing and resolving the situation in Ukraine.
First, satellite imagery has provided up-to-date information on the progress of the Russian invasion. Secondly, the Starlink satellite network provided by the space company SpaceX has been instrumental in securing telecommunications in Ukraine. Navigation satellites, on the other hand, have been used for both military operations and the evacuation of citizens.
Satellites have become an attractive target for attack. ** **
Until now, states have destroyed their own satellites. In January 2007, China destroyed its weather satellite with a ballistic missile. India launched an anti-satellite missile in March 2019.
The latest example comes from Russia. Russia smashed its old satellite last year with a missile strike. The attack generated a significant amount of space debris, which also threatened the International Space Station.
– Virtually all major space powers have the ability to destroy satellites. It is possible to damage an entire satellite infrastructure – a navigation system or a telecommunications system – but to shut it down is not a simple task.
Praks hopes that positioning systems are not at risk.
– But unfortunately I have to admit that this area (space) is also becoming military.