Baikonur: The growing tension between Russia and America over Ukraine is not hidden from anyone, the two countries are facing each other, while when it comes to space research and programs, both countries are seen standing together. Something similar happened when two Russian astronauts and an American astronaut arrived at the International Space Station after takeoff on Friday. Earlier, Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chubb and NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara flew from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in a Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft.
The crew arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) three hours later, the Russian space agency said. The orbiting station will include three Russian, two American and one Japanese astronauts, along with representatives of the European Space Agency.
A different environment in space
“In space we take care of each other, listen to each other and understand each other,” Kononenko said, pointing to pre-flight tensions. There we are very sensitive about our relationships. O’Hara praised the station and said it was bringing countries together. “I’m excited to board the ship and see the crewmates waiting for us,” he said.
will replace already living astronauts
Kononenko, 59, and Chubb, 39, will spend a year at the ISS, while O’Hara, 40, will stay for six months. This is the first mission for O’Hara and Chubb. Chubb says that space travel was his childhood dream and he spent his entire life pursuing this dream. The trio will replace Russians Dmitry Patelin and Sergey Prokopyev, as well as NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, who spent a year on the ISS. According to Roscosmos, the three astronauts were supposed to return to Earth in March, but their spacecraft Soyuz MS-22 suffered a technical malfunction due to a collision with a meteorite. They will now return to Earth on MS-23.
Politics on Earth
Russian President Vladimir Putin is considering strengthening space cooperation with China as Western condemnation and sanctions intensify following the attack on Ukraine. Putin hosted reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the new Vostochny spaceport in Russia’s Far East region, and the two discussed the possibility of sending North Korea into space. Last month, Russia’s Luna-25 failed to set foot on the moon’s surface.
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Tags: America News, Russia Ukraine war
First published: September 16, 2023, 11:43 IST