Following concerns about the current tension between the United States and Russia impacting the fate of American astronaut Mark Vande Hei, it has been announced that he will return to Earth aboard a Russian spacecraft. Vande Hei, who has spent 355 days in space, was feared to be left on the International Space Station due to increasing tensions over the Russian war in Ukraine. However, it was confirmed that he would return in a Russian capsule to Kazakhstan alongside two Russian astronauts.
Joel Montalbano, director of NASA's International Space Station program, stated, "I can assure you that Mark will come home... We are in contact with our Russian colleagues. There is no ambiguity about that." He acknowledged that the astronauts were "aware of what is happening" in the world but continue to work as a team.
This crisis prompted American billionaire Elon Musk, owner of SpaceX, to offer to send a rocket to rescue the American astronaut if the Russians abandoned him. Mary, Vande Hei's 77-year-old mother, told the Daily Mail that a statement made by a Russian official was a terrible threat, adding that she cried when she heard it for the first time and still feels worried.
Under international space law, astronauts from all countries "must provide all possible assistance" to other astronauts in need, "including emergency landings in a foreign country or at sea." Dmitry Rogozin, head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, had previously warned that sanctions were causing technical problems for the International Space Station, but Montalbano stated that it continued to operate smoothly.
He noted, "All these activities have continued for 20 years, and nothing has changed in the past three weeks. Our control centers are functioning successfully and smoothly." While the United States controls the operations and life support aboard the International Space Station, Russia manages other aspects such as propulsion.
Earlier this month, Rogozin announced on Russian state television that Roscosmos would halt rocket sales to the United States in response to sanctions imposed on Russia. Vande Hei, 55, has set a new American record for the longest time spent in space.
