In case you were wondering if the withdrawal of McDonald's from Russia over the Ukraine war has formally re-raised the Iron Curtain, the land of vodka and bears has announced it will no longer participate in the International Space Station after 2024.
Yuri Borisov, who was appointed earlier this month to lead the state-controlled space corporation Roscosmos, said during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that Russia will fulfill its obligations to other partners at the International Space Station before it leaves the project.
"The decision to leave the station after 2024 has been made," Borisov said.
Borisov's statement reaffirmed previous declarations by Russian space officials about Moscow's intention to leave the space outpost after 2024.
It comes amid soaring tensions between Russia and the West over the Kremlin's military action in Ukraine.
The breakup over the ISS is of massive importance. When the first part of the station was launched in 1998, it was a symbol of unilateral cooperation between countries that had recently been foes. Many a sci-fi nerd saw it as the first step toward a United Earth (ruled by President Stacey Abrams, of course) where the human race would throw off the shackles of religion and tribalism and soar out into the cosmos.
Take this article from Scotland's Daily Record:
SCIENTISTS are calling it the beginning of the progressive exit of human beings from planet Earth. An odyssey that could lead mankind to the stars.
...
The world is witnessing an un-precedented amount of activity in space, as international co-operation and space travel become the buzz words of the new millennium
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In all, 16 nations are contributing their resources and scientific expertise.
NASA and the USA lead the way with the Russians, followed by Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Japan, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
See? We were on our way to building the warp drive and meeting the Vulcans, baby!
As it turns out, the dreams of atheist Comic-Con fans didn't come to fruition.
Both the U.S. and Russian governments have at least worked out a deal to continue giving the other nation's astronauts a lift to and from the station.
What this means for the ISS's mission and legacy is unknown. The station is set to de-orbit in 2031 and plummet to a watery grave.
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