How the Russia-Ukraine tension might affect the International Space Station

The floating laboratory has been shielded from political tension for 20 years

A view of the International Space Station backdropped by Earth. The station has four large, maroon-coloured solar array wings, two on either side of the station, mounted to a central truss structure. Further along the truss are six large, white radiators, three next to each pair of arrays. In between the solar arrays and radiators is a cluster of pressurised modules arranged in an elongated T shape, also attached to the truss. A set of blue solar arrays are mounted to the module at the aft end of the cluster. Wikicommons

Canadian Space Agency astronaut Robert Thirsk, Expedition 20 flight engineer, inserts urine samples into the ISS Laboratory Freezer as part of the Nutritional Status Assessment study. Wikicommons

Nasa astronaut Anne McClain works inside the Japanese Kibo laboratory aboard the International Space Station in January 2019 in Earth Orbit. Alamy

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide exercises on the Cycle Ergometer in the Destiny laboratory on the International Space Station in June, 2008. Nasa / Reuters

Astronaut Gregory C. Johnson, STS-125 pilot, rests in his sleeping bag on the flight deck of the Earth-orbiting space shuttle Atlantis in May 2009. Nasa / Reuters

European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet shaves on board the station. ESA / AFP

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata performs the daily ambient flush of the potable water dispenser in the waste and hygiene compartment in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station in April 2009. Nasa TV / Reuters

A set of NanoRacks CubeSats is photographed by an Expedition 38 crew member after the deployment by the NanoRacks Launcher attached to the end of the Japanese robotic arm. Wikicommons

A portion of the International Space Station and the docked space shuttle Endeavour. Wikicommons

Live updates: follow the latest news on Russia-Ukraine

What does a potential war between Ukraine and Russia mean for the International Space Station?

The jointly-run ISS has managed to stay out of political struggles for two decades.

Now, Western powers have begun imposing sanctions on Russia for sending its troops into eastern Ukraine after numerous failed peace talks.

The space station, which is built upon a partnership between the US, Russia, the European Space Agency, Canada and Japan, has remained shielded from the geopolitical battle so far.

The current ISS crew consists of two Russians, four Americans and one German.

Dmitry Rogozin, chief of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, said on Tuesday that he values the partnership with its US peer, Nasa.

“We treasure our relationship with Nasa. Regardless of disagreements between our countries, [we] will make every effort to continue as before,” he tweeted.

“We really value our professional relationship with Nasa but as а Russian and citizen of Russia, I am completely unhappy with the sometimes openly hostile US policy towards my country.”

A civil relationship in space between the US and Russia has helped in bringing about the smooth operation of the space station since its first components were put in orbit more than 20 years ago.

However, Russia used it as a bargaining chip during the 2014 annexation of Crimea, when the US was reliant on the Soyuz rocket and spacecraft to send its astronauts to the station and bring them back safely.

Back then, the US had imposed heavy sanctions on Russia and a number of its officials, including Mr Rogozin.

“After analysing the sanctions against our space industry, I suggest the US delivers its astronauts to the ISS with a trampoline,” Mr Rogozin tweeted at the time.

Despite the threats, the two countries remained civil in space and the ISS continued to operate normally.

Now, the US has access to Elon Musk's SpaceX rockets and the Dragon crew capsule that can deliver astronauts to the space station.

But it is clear that the US-Russia partnership in space is because of technical reasons, with both the American and Russian segments on the ISS heavily reliant on each other.

US and Russia need one another to run ISS

The US relies on the Russian segment of the station for propulsion while the Russians are dependent on the US for electrical power.

With the current political struggles, it is unclear how much longer the relationship in space will last.

Pete Harding, ISS editor for the NasaSpaceflight news website, said Russia could not simply “withdraw” propulsion support from the US segment.

“Since both segments are physically attached; that would involve also withdrawing it from themselves, with the end result being that both segments would eventually fall back to Earth,” he said in a thread on Twitter.

Nasa has already announced that it intends to retire the ISS in 2031, with Russia planning to launch its own space station in 2030.

Russia is building on its partnership with China to prepare for this new space era that is focused on the Moon and beyond.

It has refused to participate in Nasa's Artemis programme, which aims to build a sustainable presence on the Moon.

Instead, Russia has joined forces with China, which has its own complex relations with the US, to build a base on the lunar surface.