This is the International Space Station.
It orbits the earth 16 times a day, 250 miles up.
It’s where astronauts from more than a dozen different countries
have been living since the year 2000
mostly Russians and Americans.
And for the last 10 years, basically the only way anyone got up or down
was in a Russian Soyuz.
At least in space, countries like Russia and the US depend on each other.
But when Russia invaded Ukraine, the US levied major sanctions in response
including some meant to...
"degrade their aerospace industry, including their space program."
The head of Russia’s space agency responded that
perhaps they’d crash the Space Station.
They even made a fake video showing Russians leaving an American astronaut...
and then detaching the Russian segment.
Relations between the West and Russia are the tensest they’ve been
since the International Space Station has been in operation.
So, what happens to it now?
During the Cold War, the US and the Soviet Union
were in the Space Race.
Who could develop the technology to reach the stars first?
But space is also where the two countries have tried to get along.
After the Soviet Union launched the first satellite
and put the first man into space
but before the US landed on the moon
there was actually talk of going to the moon together.
"The cold reaches of the universe must not become
the new arena of an even colder war."
It actually ended up being something discussed in Congress.
Of course, that was where it then fizzled out.
But I think it was important that these discussions took place.
It led to the two countries eventually collaborating on compatible docking system.
Even joining spacecrafts in 1975.
The handshake was the symbol of
“We see each other as equal partners in this."
"We recognize and respect each other, at least here in space.”
Soon after the US would begin its Space Shuttle program
bringing astronauts and satellites into space in reusable shuttles.
And the Soviet Union would create the first modular space station, Mir
where cosmonauts could live long-term.
At the same time, the US, Japan, Canada and several European countries
began planning to build their own space station together.
But after the Soviet Union fell — and the Cold War ended
the US and Russia began peace talks.
One of the first things they agreed to was collaboration in space.
Soon US shuttle astronauts docked with Mir.
Russian cosmonauts joined Shuttle launches.
"And liftoff on Discovery, of a bold new era of space flight
between the United States and Russia."
And Russia was added to the joint station plans.
"Instead of building weapons in space
Russian scientists will help us to build the International Space Station."
The first parts of the space station went up in 1998.
It was designed to be collaborative and interdependent.
It’s made up of these individual modules.
Some controlled by Russia, some controlled by the US
along with several other countries.
The Russian side controls the navigation and the US provides most of the electricity.
That was a purposeful design, to sort of work in international cooperation
into the actual technicalities of the space station.
They’ve conducted thousands of experiments to learn about
diseases, climate change on Earth and
importantly for space exploration
whether humans can actually live in space long-term.
How does food grow, or a human body change?
The space station is sort of this major stepping stone
for more exploration of space
going back to the Moon, onto Mars.
It's to learn about human survival in space.
And international cooperation in space has largely worked out really well.
The US even retired its shuttle program
and became completely reliant on Russia’s Soyuz rockets
to reach the space station.
But then...
"Russian tanks, choppers, and troops..."
"Vladimir Putin moves to annex Crimea."
In 2014 Russia invaded and annexed Crimea from Ukraine
and the US imposed harsh sanctions.
Just like he would again years later
the head of Russia’s Roscosmos threatened to pull Soyuz access
suggesting the US should get to the space station on "a trampoline".
But the two countries weren’t serious about bringing conflict on Earth to the space station.
At least the head of NASA then wasn’t worried about the tweets.
President Obama and President Putin put sort of a bubble
around the International Space Station
and we continued the space diplomatic relations.
That says something about the value of that bilateral relationship.
"The military has escalated its attacks on civilians."
"He believes Russia is committing war crimes."
"He is a war criminal."
Today, the diplomatic relationship between the US and Russia
is at the lowest point since the Cold War.
But the space relationship between them remains fairly untouched.
The Russians didn’t leave the US astronaut behind
and brought him back to Earth in a Soyuz.
"Touchdown."
"I never perceived those tweets as anything to take seriously."
"I just had too much confidence in our cooperation to date."
They even sent a new crew of cosmonauts to the space station.
"People have problems on Earth."
"In orbit, we're not lying, we are one crew."
For now the space station continues to run
mostly insulated from the geopolitical problems on Earth
just as it was designed.
Emphasis on: for now.
The truth is, the space station is old.
It was only designed to last until 2015.
And while the countries have agreed to continue operations several times
right now that agreement only goes until 2024.
The US wants to extend until 2030.
Russia has yet to sign on.
But even if they do
the two countries have different plans in space in the future.
Private companies are planning to build their own
space stations in the coming decade.
NASA wants to depend on those.
They’re focused on developing the Artemis program.
Going back to the moon, establishing a presence there, and eventually, traveling to Mars.
In collaboration with other countries.
With two notable exceptions.
Russia is currently planning and building its own space station.
So is China, who plans to finish their station, already in orbit, this year.
They’re also planning a mission to the moon.
I think we're still going to see — we must see — international cooperation in space.
But the question is just which countries will cooperate with which other countries.
As for the International Space Station, if Russia doesn’t participate after 2024
things they currently control, like navigation, could be designed on the US side.
Likely with the help of private companies like SpaceX.
SpaceX is already how many astronauts get to the space station.
Their first mission in 2020 ended the dependence on Russia’s Soyuz.
"The trampoline is working!"
"It’s an inside joke."
"Inside joke here."
The International Space Station is really one of the best examples
in history of human cooperation.
It can represent the best of humanity.
The war in Ukraine may hasten the end of the space station.
But that end was already planned.
What it really threatens
is the future of these countries finding common ground in space.
"My hope is that these types of connections
can be maintained and serve as a path forward
to try and find that common ground that we need so desperately to find peace."