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Russia says video of US astronaut abandoned in space is just a joke Sections   News   Pay & Benefits   Flashpoints   Education and Transition   Pentagon & Congress   Off Duty   Veterans   Military Honor   Subscribe Now(Opens in new window)Subscribe Now(Opens in new window)NewsYour MilitaryArmy Times(Opens in new window)Navy Times(Opens in new window)Air Force Times(Opens in new window)Marine Corps Times(Opens in new window)Pentagon & CongressDefense News(Opens in new window)Burn PitsFlashpointsAfghanistanChinaUkrainePay & BenefitsBenefits Guide(Opens in new window)Family LifeMilitary Pay CenterMilitary RetirementMilitary BenefitsMil MoneyDiscount DepotOff DutyGear Scout(Opens in new window)Military CultureMilitary FitnessMilitary Movies & Video GamesMilitary SportsDeadly SkillsMilitary RiderSpousesEducation and TransitionTransition Guide(Opens in new window)Pay It Forward(Opens in new window)VeteransMilitary HistoryMilitary HonorSalute to VeteransBlack Military HistoryCongressional Veterans Caucus(Opens in new window)Military Appreciation MonthVietnam Vets & Rolling ThunderService Members of the Year(Opens in new window)World War IHonor the Fallen(Opens in new window)Hall of Valor(Opens in new window)Create an Obituary(Opens in new window)OpinionEditorialsCommentaryMedals & MisfiresSpecial ProjectsInstallation Guide(Opens in new window)Battle BracketAmerica's MilitaryTask Force ViolentCFC Givers GuideVideosNewsletters(Opens in new window)Early Bird BriefMilitary NativeIHGLong-Term Care PartnersNavy FederalRegisVARIDESKWorld of WarshipsHome HQInstallation Guide(Opens in new window)Russia says video of US astronaut abandoned in space is just a jokeBy Sarah Sicard Mar 16, 2022The International Space Station is a satellite that can be seen by earthlings below. (NASA)A video released in early March depicting Russian cosmonauts waving goodbye as they leave U.S. astronaut Mark Vande Hei behind on the International Space Station is simply a joke, according to Russian officials.“The Roscosmos television studio jokingly demonstrated the possibility of Russia withdrawing from the ISS project—the undocking of the Russian segment of the station, without which the American part of the project cannot exist,” according to the translation of the video’s caption, The Wall Street Journal reported.Though Russian state-run media claims Roscosmos released the video on the messenger app Telegram, its origin has not been independently verified.Regardless, state media confirms that it will not in fact leave Vande Hei behind when the crew is due to return March 30, despite a Fox News report that claimed Roscosmos was thinking “with everything going on, just leave him up there.”“American astronaut Mark Vande Hei will return to Earth on March 30 aboard the Russian Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft, together with Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov,” Russian state news agency Tass reported. “Roskosmos has never given reason to doubt its reliability as a partner.”Still, as international tensions continue to rise over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade neighboring Ukraine in late February, this video is ill-timed, and NASA astronaut Scott Kelly ― who served on the ISS for a year ― hints that such a display is a breach of trust after two decades of international cooperation on the space station.“It kind of enraged me that the country that we had been in this international partnership for 20 years would take the time to make a video to threaten to leave behind one of the crew members they are responsible for,” Kelly told The Wall Street Journal. “They agreed to be responsible for his safety, getting him to the space station and getting him home. For me, that kind of just crossed the line.”Roscosmos raised concerns about continuing to participate in the joint space venture after 2024 given the tough sanctions that followed the Ukraine invasion, Tass reported.“If, by the time our orbital station is deployed, we continue to live in this hostile world and the number of allies will be limited, then we will make it an applied- military station,” Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Rogozin said.Observation Post is the Military Times one-stop shop for all things off-duty. Stories may reflect author observations. About Sarah SicardSarah Sicard is a Senior Editor with Military Times. She previously served as the Digitial Editor of Military Times and the Army Times Editor. 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