NASA suspends relations with Russia space agency [View all]

[Bosonic]

Source: UPI

WASHINGTON, April 2 (UPI) -- The U.S. Government has suspended all contact between its space agency and the Russians' over the ongoing geopolitical crisis in Ukraine.

According to a NASA memo sent Wednesday by Associate Administrator Michael O'Brien, all contact between NASA and Roscosmos was indefinitely suspended, with the exception of activities related to operating the International Space Station.

As of last week, when two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut joined the current expedition, there are three Russians, two Americans and one Japanese astronaut aboard the space station.

Just last week, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said he had no fear that the Russian government would cut off American access to the space station, despite the Earth-bound crisis. While the U.S. has relied on Russia's launch vehicles to transport astronauts to space since NASA grounded the Space Shuttle program, Bolden said the Russians were just as dependent on the U.S. to run the station as the U.S. was on Russia's transportation abilities.


Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2014/04/02/NASA-suspends-relations-with-Russia-space-agency/6351396463809/