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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 27 July 2022
Russia to drop out of International Space Station after 2024

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV at a time aboard the station
and MARCIA DUNN as it orbits about 260 miles
Associated Press (420 kilometers) above
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia will Earth. Three Russians, three
pull out of the International Americans and one Italian
Space Station after 2024 are now on board.
and focus on building its The $100 billion-plus com-
own orbiting outpost, the plex is about as long as a
country’s new space chief football field and consists of
said Tuesday amid high two main sections, one run
tensions between Moscow by Russia, the other by the
and the West over the fight- U.S. and the other coun-
ing in Ukraine. tries.
The announcement, while It was not immediately
not unexpected, throws clear what will have to be
into question the future of done to the Russian side of
the 24-year-old space sta- the complex to safely oper-
tion, with experts saying it ate the space station once
would be extremely difficult Moscow pulls out.
perhaps a “nightmare,” by Former NASA astronaut
one reckoning to keep it Scott Kelly, who spent 340
running without the Rus- continuous days aboard
sians. NASA and its partners the International Space
had hoped to continue op- In this June 2, 2021 file image taken from Roscosmos video, Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitsky, Station in 2015 and 2016,
erating it until 2030. right, and Pyotr Dubrov, members of the crew to the International Space Station (ISS), perform their said that the Russian state-
“The decision to leave the first spacewalk to replace old batteries outside the International Space Station. ment “could be just more
station after 2024 has been bluster,” noting that “after
made,” Yuri Borisov, ap- tions by Russian space of- space station, the Russian dustries. 2024” is vague and open-
pointed this month to lead ficials about Moscow’s in- Space Agency lost a ma- Former Canadian astro- ended.
the Russian space agency, tention to leave the space jor source of income. For naut Chris Hadfield tweet- “I believe Russia will stay
Roscosmos, said during station after 2024 when the years, NASA had been pay- ed in reaction to Tuesday’s as long as they can afford
a meeting with President current international ar- ing tens of millions of dollars announcement: “Remem- to, as without ISS they have
Vladimir Putin. He added: “I rangements for its opera- per seat for rides aboard ber that Russia’s best game no human spaceflight pro-
think that by that time we tion end. Russian Soyuz rockets. is chess.” gram,” he said. “Coop-
will start forming a Russian Russian officials have long The Russian announcement The space station is jointly eration with the West also
orbiting station.” talked about their desire is certain to stir speculation run by Russia, the U.S., Eu- shows some amount of
The space station has long to launch their own space that it is part of Moscow’s rope, Japan and Canada. legitimacy to other, non-
been a symbol of post- station and have com- maneuvering to win relief The first piece was put in or- aligned nations and to
Cold War international plained that the wear and from Western sanctions bit in 1998, and the outpost their own people, which
teamwork in the name of tear on the aging Interna- over the conflict in Ukraine. has been continuously in- Putin needs, as the war in
science but is now one of tional Space Station is com- Borisov’s predecessor, Dmi- habited for nearly 22 years. Ukraine has damaged his
the last areas of coopera- promising safety and could try Rogozin, said last month It is used to conduct scien- credibility.”
tion between the U.S. and make it difficult to extend that Moscow could take tific research in zero gravity Kelly said the design of the
the Kremlin. its lifespan. part in negotiations about and test out technology for station would make it diffi-
NASA had no immediate Cost may also be a factor: a possible extension of the future journeys to the moon cult but not impossible for
comment. With Elon Musk’s SpaceX station’s operations only and Mars. the remaining nations to
Borisov’s statement reaf- company now flying NASA if the U.S. lifts its sanctions It typically has a crew of operate it if Russia were to
firmed previous declara- astronauts to and from the against Russian space in- seven, who spend months withdraw.q

Serbian police break up people-smuggling gang, find migrants

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — the border with Serbia’s the Balkan country and
Serbia’s police broke up a European Union neighbor move further west.
people-smuggling gang Hungary. Stepped-up po- Sneaking over Serbia’s
near the border with Hun- lice activity has followed northern border often takes
gary early on Tuesday, and a clash in the area in early months because Hungary
found various weapons July that left one person has put up two rows of
and hundreds of passports dead. barbed wire fence and
and other documents tak- Police said they found both deployed heavy security.
en from migrants trying to firearms and other weap- Migrants therefore often
reach Western Europe, of- ons with the smugglers. turn to people-smugglers in
ficials said. “Any human being on our order to continue their jour-
Police also discovered 120 territory has the right to be ney toward the EU’s more
migrants, including women respected, and to dignity,” prosperous nations.
and children, during the said Interior Minister Alek- Migrants routinely face per-
operation in the area of sandar Vulin. ils on their long journeys to-
Mali Horgos, a statement People fleeing violence or ward better lives.
said. poverty in the Middle East, From Serbia, migrants also In this photo provided by the Serbian Interior Ministry, Serbian
Tuesday’s operation is the Africa or Asia have been cross into Croatia, Bosnia or Police officer gives water to migrants near village of Horgos,
second this month against stranded by the Hungarian Romania.q Serbia, Tuesday, July 26, 2022.
people-smugglers along border hoping to cross from Associated Press