Russia stops space cooperation with US: ‘Let them fly on brooms’

Dmitry Rogozin, director-general of Roscosmos, announced that Russia would be halting the delivery of rocket engines to the US, saying “let them fly into space on their brooms,” according to RIA Novosti.

Rogozin added that Russia would be ending cooperation with the US on experiments on the ISS. He added that the priority of the country’s space program would be adjusted to focus on satellites for defense interests.

Rogozin announced as well on Thursday that Roscosmos would be freezing cooperation with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in a letter to the administrator of the DLR, Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla. The DLR announced on Thursday that it was terminating all collaboration activities with Russian institutions and would not start any new projects or initiatives with them.

British satellite company OneWeb said on Thursday it was suspending all launches from Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan after Moscow’sspace agency demanded guarantees that its spacecraft would not be used for military purposes.

“In light of Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, we are reviewing our participation in all further projects involving Russian collaboration,” the government said.

A Soyuz rocket carrying 36 OneWeb satellites had been due to launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.