Self-inflicted consequences? Russian cosmonauts may refuse to be fitted with robotic arms after European Space Agency 'breaks' contract
Russian cosmonauts will refuse to be fitted with robotic arms after European Space Agency 'breaks' contract
Today, the survival of the International Space Station has become an issue that needs to be discussed by all. Since a few years ago, the conflicts on the ISS have not stopped. Friction in international relations has led to the astronauts on board the ISS becoming strange. The escalation of conflicts naturally also leads to pushback and suspension of space missions. For example, Russian cosmonauts may refuse to install a robotic arm for the ISS.
The European Space Agency has announced a space mission - the installation of a robotic arm. The mission was to be carried out by Russian cosmonauts, but as friction between the Russian space agency and the European Space Agency escalated, the mission was put on hold and may even be aborted.
The Russian space agency and the European Space Agency are officially at war. In February this year, the European Space Agency issued a formal notice suspending all cooperation with Russia in the space sector, and many space projects were suspended, including the ExoMars mission, the largest ever collaboration between the two space agencies. Apparently, because of their relationship, this project was naturally put on hold.
Many people don't want to see the ExoMars mission affected. After all, both sides have invested a lot of money in the ExoMars Mars mission, but that money has reached billions of dollars, not to mention the scientists involved in the project. "The most important aspect of the ExoMars mission is the establishment of a permanent research station on Mars. The European Space Agency and the Russian Space Agency plan to launch a rover and establish a research station, which will facilitate further research and development on Mars.
However, this cooperation project was not the only cooperation between the two sides, also for lunar missions. in April, the European astronauts publicly stated that they would not be involved in the next Russian lunar project.
The suspension of the partnership means that ExoMars' Mars exploration mission will end and the rover will not be launched.
The ExoMars mission has been underway for several years and the rover is ready to go. It was scheduled to launch in 2020 alongside China's Tianwen 1 and US Trailblazer, but the European Space Agency suspended the launch due to an epidemic. Now, the inexplicable relationship between the European Space Agency and the Russian Space Agency has led to the postponement of the ExoMars penis mission. In other words, we may not be able to wait for ExoMars.
"The end of the ExoMars mission can be seen as a dead end. All the costs invested up front will not be recovered and the water will be wasted.
Russia did not propose to suspend the implementation of ExoMars on the Mars mission, judging from the circumstances that prevented it from doing so. On the contrary, the European Space Agency has changed its mind and has been playing the role of the "bad guy". From this point of view, the Russian cosmonauts' refusal to fit the robot arm to the European astronauts is justified and maybe the strongest blow of all.
The European Space Agency sent its robotic arm into space in July this year and plans to have it fitted by two Russian cosmonauts.
I think the Russian cosmonauts have a reason to refuse, but it's not easy to say. After all, science knows no borders. If it is beneficial to the research of space missions, perhaps for scientific reasons, Russia will agree to let its cosmonauts install the robotic arm. The best weapon against the "villains" is to return the favor. In this regard, do you think that Russia will help the European Space Agency to install a robotic arm?
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