Russian space chief warns ISS can fall on India, US or EU - See how Elon Musk responds

Even as the Ukraine-Russia war intensifies, Moscow's frustration now seems to come out in the open with sanctions imposed on the country by the West on one side and not gaining grounds even as the war enters Day 7. Meanwhile, the chief of Russian space agency Roscosmos took to Twitter to warn countries of consequences should the sanctions continue.

In a series of tweets, Russian space chief Dmitry Rogozin warned that the International Space Station (ISS) could come crashing down to Earth, due to new US sanctions against the country. "If you block cooperation with us, who will save the ISS from an uncontrolled deorbit and fall into the United States or Europe?" he tweeted.

To the question put by Rogozin that who would stop the ISS from falling into either the US, Europe, India or China, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk stepped in and responded with a single image of his company. SpaceX CEO later clarified that he indeed meant that his company would stop the ISS from crashing into Earth.

САНКЦИИ АЛЬЦ-ГЕЙМЕРА
Байден заявил, что новые санкции коснутся российской космической программы. Ок. Остается выяснить детали:
1. Вы хотите перекрыть нам доступ к радиационностойкой микроэлектронике космического назначения? Так вы это уже сделали вполне официально в 2014 году.

— РОГОЗИН (@Rogozin) February 24, 2022

Elon Musk's reply has won hearts of social media users who lauded him for showing bravery but also cautioned him to be careful lest he becomes a target for Russia. The new set of sanctions by the United States on Russia comes as a reaction to the country's invasion of Ukraine.

While imposing the sanctions, United States President Joe Biden had said, "Additional strong sanctions will degrade (Russia's) aerospace industry, including their space program."

Read | Here's how Elon Musk's Starlink will provide secure internet service to Ukraine

What is ISS?

The International Space Station is a modular space station in low Earth orbit.

It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies.

Launched in 1988, ISS includes NASA, Roscosmos, JAXA, ESA, and CSA agencies.

Ownership and use of the space station is established by intergovernmental treaties and agreements.

It a collaboration among the US, Russia, Japan, Canada, and the European Space Agency (ESA).

Astronauts from multiple nations stay on the ISS and carry out research missions together.

Crew from 15 nations occupy it on a rotational basis for space research.

Currently, the ISS is occupied by four NASA astronauts, two Russian cosmonauts, and one from ESA.