Russia embargoing space flights and rocket engines

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**Frazzled**

Sounds like an opportunity for Liquid Fuelled FREEDOM to come to the rescue!
Alternatively shoot down the ISS. If we can't use it, no one can.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/10828964/Russia-to-ban-US-from-using-Space-Station-over-Ukraine-sanctions.html

Russia is to deny the US future use of the International Space Station beyond 2020 and will also bar its rocket engines from launching US military satellites as it hits back at American sanctions imposed over Ukraine crisis.

Russia’s deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin announced a series of punitive measures on Tuesday against the US in response to sanctions imposed after Russia annexed Crimea.

The two countries have long cooperated closely on space exploration despite their clashes in foreign policy.

The Space Station is manned by both American and Russian crew, but the only way to reach it is by using Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft.

The US is keen to keep the $100 billion (£600) ISS flying until at least 2024, four years beyond its original target.

At a time when Moscow is struggling to reform its accident-plagued space programme, Mr Rogozin said US plans to deny export licences for some high-technology items were a blow to Russian industry. “These sanctions are out of place and inappropriate,” Mr Rogozin said. “We have enough of our own problems.”

Moscow’s response would affect NK-33 and RD-180 engines which Russia supplies to the US, Mr Rogozin said. “We are ready to deliver these engines but on one condition that they will not be used to launch military satellites,” he said.

RD-180 engines are used to boost Atlas 5 rockets manufactured by United Launch Alliance, a partnership of Lockheed Martin and Boeing that holds a virtual monopoly on launching U.S. military satellites.

Mr Rogozin said Moscow was planning "strategic changes" in its space industry after 2020 and aims to use money and "intellectual resources" that now go to the space station for a "a project with more prospects".

He suggested Russia could use the station without the United States, saying: "The Russian segment can exist independently from the American one. The U.S. one cannot."

The US space agency NASA is working with companies to develop space taxis with the goal of restoring US transport to the station by 2017, but the United States currently pays Russia more than $60 million per person to fly its astronauts up.

Mr Rogozin said Russia will suspend the operation of 11 GPS sites on its territory from June and seek talks with Washington on opening similar sites in the United States for Russia's own satellite navigation system, Glonass.

He threatened the permanent closure of the GPS sites in Russia if that is not agreed by September.

He said the suspension of the sites would not affect everyday operations of the GPS system in Russia, where it is used by millions of Russians for navigation on their smartphones and in their cars.

The upheaval in Ukraine - where the United States says Russia is backing separatists and the Kremlin accuses Washington of helping protesters to topple a Moscow-friendly president in February, has led to the worst East-West crisis since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

In addition to the hi-tech sector sanctions, the US has imposed visa bans and assets freezes on officials and lawmakers and targeted companies with links to President Vladimir Putin. The European Union has also imposed sanctions.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said earlier on Tuesday that the latest EU measures were an "exhausted, trite approach" that would only deepen discord and hamper efforts to defuse the crisis in Ukraine.

**-Shrike-**

Seems fair. I'm sure I could dig up some quotations from the US politicians about actions and consequences if I wanted to.

**LordofHats**

Sounds like shutting down our space program was a short sighted choice

**SlaveToDorkness**

Party in my backyard when the ISS is floating through the night sky as a flaming wreck!

**Gentleman_Jellyfish**

SlaveToDorkness wrote:
Party in my backyard when the ISS is floating through the night sky as a flaming wreck!

But only because of our "if we can't have it nobody can" attitude would force us to shoot it down

**Frazzled**

Gentleman_Jellyfish wrote:
SlaveToDorkness wrote:
Party in my backyard when the ISS is floating through the night sky as a flaming wreck!

But only because of our "if we can't have it nobody can" attitude would force us to shoot it down

ONly if we can do it with sharks with frigging lazer beams.

**Gentleman_Jellyfish**

Frazzled wrote:
Gentleman_Jellyfish wrote:
SlaveToDorkness wrote:
Party in my backyard when the ISS is floating through the night sky as a flaming wreck!

But only because of our "if we can't have it nobody can" attitude would force us to shoot it down

ONly if we can do it with sharks with frigging lazer beams.

Only if they're riding Boeing 787 Dreamliners

**welshhoppo**

Frazzled wrote:
Gentleman_Jellyfish wrote:
SlaveToDorkness wrote:
Party in my backyard when the ISS is floating through the night sky as a flaming wreck!

But only because of our "if we can't have it nobody can" attitude would force us to shoot it down

ONly if we can do it with sharks with frigging lazer beams.

**Frazzled**

Exactly! Have a taste of Salt Water freedom you pinko commies!

**Iron_Captain**

Don't be afraid, vicepremier Rogozin has proposed a very good solution for the US. Use a giant trampoline to send astronauts to ISS!
Also, Rogozin said Russia plans to decommission the ISS in 2020.

**Grey Templar**

LordofHats wrote:
Sounds like shutting down our space program was a short sighted choice

This could actually be a good thing. It will encourage more private space research and development.

**AlmightyWalrus**

Iron_Captain wrote:
Don't be afraid, vicepremier Rogozin has proposed a very good solution for the US. Use a giant trampoline to send astronauts to ISS!
Also, Rogozin said Russia plans to decommission the ISS in 2020.

Good for Russia. They don't have complete ownership of it, so yeah.

**Ifurita**

If I were Putin, I would have added the following dig at the US, "If the US needs a means to get to space, maybe they should reach out to Iran or North Korea"

**Necros**

Can't we just make our own space station? And rockets? And then thank them for helping to create more jobs here in the US?

**Gitzbitah**

Comrades, this is but phase one of Russia's four part plan.
Stage one- Secure orbital control.
Stage Two- Apply paint to alter the I to an R on the RSS.
Stage 3- Launch 3d printers to the RSS
Stage 4- 3d Print a fleet of autonomous robot drones to secure space.

All that is left is a ragtag band of Space Camp goers, who have been dared to spend the night in the decommisioned shuttle Atlantis by a rival team.

Thus is the plot of Red Eclipse- to bring back the sun, they must take to the stars.

You're welcome Syfy.

**Iron_Captain**

Gitzbitah wrote:
Comrades, this is but phase one of Russia's four part plan.
Stage one- Secure orbital control.
Stage Two- Apply paint to alter the I to an R on the RSS.
Stage 3- Launch 3d printers to the RSS
Stage 4- 3d Print a fleet of autonomous robot drones to secure space.

All that is left is a ragtag band of Space Camp goers, who have been dared to spend the night in the decommisioned shuttle Atlantis by a rival team.

Thus is the plot of Red Eclipse- to bring back the sun, they must take to the stars.

You're welcome Syfy.

And after that, we will paint a Lenin face on the moon.

**Smacks**

The US is keen to keep the $100 billion (£600)

Wow the dollar really has sunk low, no wonder you guys all hate Obama...

**DarkTraveler777**

Smacks wrote:
The US is keen to keep the $100 billion (£600)

Wow the dollar really has sunk low, no wonder you guys all hate Obama...

Yeah, it is like Germany post-WWI over here. I have a wheel barrow full of $100 bills, could I buy some bread from you?

**Ensis Ferrae**

Iron_Captain wrote:

And after that, we will paint a Lenin face on the moon.

See... because it was Americans who were on the moon first, we'd just go back there sooner than Russians, and we'd probably do something awesome, like carving the original Ghostbusters faces onto the moon

**Grey Templar**

I vote for the Trollface.

**Ouze**

I'm a little surprised they would go this route. I mean, politically it's obviously going to be a big winner for them but I would have thought that their need for hard currency would have made this too difficult.

**Ensis Ferrae**

Ouze wrote:
I'm a little surprised they would go this route. I mean, politically it's obviously going to be a big winner for them but I would have thought that their need for hard currency would have made this too difficult.

Vodka export money probably more than makes up for it

**Grey Templar**

Ensis Ferrae wrote:
Ouze wrote:
I'm a little surprised they would go this route. I mean, politically it's obviously going to be a big winner for them but I would have thought that their need for hard currency would have made this too difficult.

Vodka export money probably more than makes up for it

Pfft, the good Vodka isn't even made in Russia anymore.

**kronk**

Mission control for the ISS is in Houston, which can turn the power, air, and other gak on and off, so...

**Frazzled**

"What do you mean they cut the power Man? How could they cut the power?!?!"

-Hudson on the meaning of life.

**Iron_Captain**

Grey Templar wrote:
I vote for the Trollface.

This would be more effective on the moon to enrage Putin:

He would have to arrest the moon for breaking the law on gay-propaganda.

**Sasori**

kronk wrote:
Mission control for the ISS is in Houston, which can turn the power, air, and other gak on and off, so...

We'll play your game Russia!

**Jihadin**

A bare chested Putin on horse back was enough
The "discovery" of ancient artifacts on a dive was a bit over the top
Now you want to put the man on the moon....W.T.H.

**Iron_Captain**

Jihadin wrote:
A bare chested Putin on horse back was enough
The "discovery" of ancient artifacts on a dive was a bit over the top
Now you want to put the man on the moon....W.T.H.

That way, mankind will be able to bask in His glory for many future generations to come.

**dementedwombat**

All I'm saying is that is I end up looking as good as Putin when I'm 60 I'll be pretty dang proud of myself. Also apparently the modules that control life support on the ISS are stationed in the Russian part of the station. But as far as I can tell we won't have any epic USA vs Russian brawls in space over the life support handle at any time in the near future.