Russia is withdrawing from it What do you know about the International Space Station and its mechanism of operation?

On Tuesday, the Russian space agency, Roscosmos, announced its intention to withdraw from the International Space Station after 2024. While the United States, the station's number one partner, is studying the consequences of Russia's withdrawal from it.

The new director of the Russian Space Agency "Roscosmos" Yuri Borisov announced, on Tuesday, that his country will withdraw from the International Space Station after 2024. Thus, the new director implements the threats of his predecessor Dmitry Rogozin, who has more than once waved the withdrawal card from the largest space facility orbiting around Earth.

"We will fulfill all our obligations to our partners, but the decision to leave this station after 2024 has already been taken," Borisov said. This announcement follows the meeting of the agency's director with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who indicated that Roscosmos is about to focus during the coming period on building its own space station.

Since its launch in 1998, Russia and the United States are the two preeminent powers inside the International Space Station, which puts it in the event of Russia's withdrawal in danger of falling. While the Americans are studying the consequences of the "Roscosmos" decision, and searching for new partners to avoid them.

Threats and dangers of withdrawal

It is not the first time an official in the Russian Space Agency has raised the option of withdrawing, although what Borisov announced this time came in the form of confirmation. Even before that, after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and the imposition of harsh sanctions by Western countries on the Russian aviation sector, the former director of "Roscosmos" Dmitry Rogozin threatened to withdraw his country from the station, which would lead to its downfall.

Addressing the administration of the US president, Rogozin said, in a series of tweets published last March, that: "If you prevent cooperation with us, who will save the International Space Station from derailing and falling on the territory of the United States or Europe? There is also a chance of falling debris weighing 500 tons. "In India or China. Do you want to threaten them with such a possibility? The International Space Station doesn't fly over Russia, so all the dangers threaten you. Are you ready for that?"

According to a previous article for the American “Atlantic” website, the International Space Station is divided into two parts, American and Russian, and depends on both to function: while “NASA” provides electricity for the entire station, “Roscosmos” provides the spacecraft that is connected to the International Space Station and pushes everything periodically. to a higher altitude and stay on course.

Thus, the International Space Station is threatened with displacement from its orbit and collapse in the event that Russia stops its cooperation in this regard. Following Borissov's announcement on Tuesday, White House spokeswoman Karen-Jean-Pierre told reporters that her country was "considering options to mitigate the potential impacts on the International Space Station after 2024 if Russia withdraws."

What do you know about the International Space Station and its mechanism of operation?

The International Space Station is the largest man-made space station in space and the largest satellite in low Earth orbit, with a length and width of 73 and 109 meters, respectively, and a weight of about 500 tons. It revolves around the Earth in a close orbit with a height of 400 km.

The project to build the International Space Station was launched in 1984 at an American proposal, and it was launched on November 20, 1998. While the construction project was participated in by the American "NASA" and the Russian "Roscosmos", in addition to the Japanese "Shaka" and the European "ESA" and Canadian "clothes". Consequently, it now includes five space programs and fifteen nations, making it the most politically and legally complex space exploration program in history.

The International Space Station Agreement of 1998 sets the basic framework for international cooperation between the parties. A series of subsequent agreements govern other aspects of the station, ranging from court cases to a code of conduct between visiting astronauts.