Russia demands explanation over US snub to space chief
Dmitry Rogozin, a firebrand nationalist politician known for his anti-Western rhetoric, was set to visit the US in February but NASA said Friday that it was postponing his visit indefinitely.
Rogozin, appointed by President Vladimir Putin in May last year and previously a deputy prime minister, is blacklisted and under US sanctions over Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
Russia’s Roscosmos space agency said in a statement that “it expects official explanations of NASA’s position” and stressed that Rogozin’s visit was planned “in accordance with an invitation received earlier.”
It added a veiled warning that preparations for talks on cooperation with the US on the ISS programme and deep space exploration are “so far not suspended.”
The row comes as space exploration remains one of the few areas where Washington and Moscow continue active cooperation despite political tensions. The US needs Russia to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station.
NASA said in a statement Friday it had told Roscosmos that Rogozin’s visit would “need to be postponed” and a new date “has not been identified,” USA Today reported.
Plans for Rogozin to visit NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston had prompted protests from US senators.
Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen said in a statement Wednesday that NASA’s invitation to Rogozin “undercuts our message and undermines the United States’ core national security objectives.”
