US Sanctions Against Russia Could Prevent Americans From Reaching ISS

Apr 29, 2014 05:03 PM EDT | Matt Mercuro

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin warned this U.S. this week that sanctions against Moscow could hurt U.S. astronauts trying to get to the International Space Station.

"After analyzing the sanctions against our space industry, I suggest to the USA to bring their astronauts to the International Space Station using a trampoline," Rogozin said on his Twitter account.

The tweet came after a report in which Rogozin, who is currently in charge of the Russian space program, was quoted saying sanctions against Russia wouldn't just have a negative effect on Europe's space effort, but also on NASA.

"Essentially, the Americans want to clear us out of the space services market," he said, according to NBC News.

Rogozin is one of people on the list of Russian officials whose financial assets will supposedly be frozen under the terms of the U.S. sanctions.

He came under fire last week by SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk, who is busy fighting the U.S. Air Force's decision to purchase rocket hardware from United Launch Alliance.

Russian rockets are currently being used to launch European satellites, as well as NASA astronauts.

"I am sick and tired of these sanctions, to be honest," Rogozin said to journalists in the Crimean city of Simferopol, according to NBC News. "They don't understand that the sanctions will hit them like a boomerang."

NP Energomash, A Russian state-controlled company, provides components for ULA's Atlas 5 rocket, and Musk believes it would be difficult to "imagine that Dmitry Rogozin is not benefiting personally from the dollars that are sent there."

Musk argues that the Air Force's purchase of Atlas rockets could violate U.S sanctions as well, according to NBC News.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Rogozin was being targeted "as an individual, not as a company," in response to that question.

The ISS is a permanently staffed research facility that flies 260 miles above Earth.

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