China News Service, April 12. Comprehensive Russian media reported on the 11th that Dmitry Rogozin, president of Roscosmos, said in an interview with RIA Novosti that even if it decides not to continue cooperation after 2024, Russia will not It will also fulfill all its international obligations with respect to the International Space Station.

Image source: Screenshot of RIA Novosti report.

　　Regarding the widely concerned issue of whether Roskosmos will continue to cooperate with the International Space Station, Rogozin said that the position of Roscosmos has been discussed at the Roscosmos Supervisory Committee recently.

The issue of cooperation with the International Space Station is a matter of agreement between the governments of Russia, the United States, Canada, EU countries and Japan, and needs to be resolved at the government level. Roscosmos plans to submit a report to the Russian President in the near future.

　　Rogozin believes that many aspects of the International Space Station, such as fuel delivery, orbit correction and avoiding collisions with space junk, depend on Russia.

Even if it decides not to continue cooperation after 2024, Russia will fulfill all of its international obligations with regard to the ISS. "Obviously, there is no way to talk about some form of action here and the issue of Russia's rapid withdrawal from the ISS. We have our own international obligations. ."

　　Previously, some American media questioned whether Russia would refuse to send American astronauts back to Earth due to a series of sanctions caused by the situation in Ukraine.

Roscosmos stressed that the safety of the crew of the International Space Station is the most important priority.

　　On March 30, American astronaut Mark van der Hay and two Russian astronauts returned to Earth from the International Space Station in a Russian "Soyuz" spacecraft on March 30.

Mark van der Hey said it was a pleasure working with the Russian astronauts on the International Space Station, "who were, are and will be my very dear friends" and "never worried if I could continue to work with them" cooperate."

　　On the other hand, Roscosmos has written to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European and Canadian space agencies, requesting measures to lift the US, Canada and EU countries' restrictions on Russian companies "Progress" Rocket Space Center, "Roscosmos" Sanctions against the company and the main body of the Aerospace Corporation, the "Central Institute of Mechanical Engineering of Russia".

Rogozin pointed out that without these three key organizations, the safe operation of the International Space Station would not be possible.

　　In response, NASA Administrator Nelson and the Canadian Space Agency gave a similar response, saying that despite the sanctions, cooperation with the "Progress" Rocket and Space Center and Russia's Central Institute of Mechanical Engineering will continue.

Aschbach, the director general of the European Space Agency, only said that the Russian information was passed on to the member states of the European Space Agency.

　　In response to these replies, Rogozin said that only when sanctions are completely lifted can normal cooperative relations be established.