NASA astronauts clash with Russian cosmonauts on the International Space Station: 'We are not the bad guys!.

Conflicts arising from Russia's invasion of Ukraine are beginning to spill over onto space, with tensions growing between NASA astronauts and Russian cosmonauts on board the ISS.

A NASA astronaut who recently returned to Earth after a long stay onboard the ISS has suggested that tensions have been growing onboard the research station between Russian cosmonauts and US astronauts. While Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sours relations between NATO countries and the Kremlin, the ISS has largely been free from conflict, with some bizarre exceptions.

NASA and Roscosmos crew members even appeared to be friendly with each other, when last month NASA astronaut Thomas Marshburn handed over the metaphorical (and ceremonial) keys to the ISS to Russian cosmonauts, as they descended back to Earth.

Mr Marshburn said during a webcast: "I think the lasting legacy of the space station is very likely to be international cooperation and a place of peace.

Meanwhile, cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev responded in English saying: "Thank you for the key, and thank you for the friendship."

However, it appears that things weren't always as cordial on the research station, according to astronaut Mark Vande Hei.


Mr Vande hei would disagree with Russians on some topics (Image: Bill Ingalls / NASA via Getty Images)

Mr Vande Hei recently returned from the ISS after spending a record 355 days onboard the orbital outpost and spoke to the Washington Post about his experience.

The astronaut noted that at some point, he would “poke holes” in the cosmonauts’ “logic,” suggesting that spacemen from both countries would sometimes disagree on certain issues.

However, he also admitted that he was forced to acknowledge American culture’s misrepresentation of Russian people, particularly in cinema.

These moments particularly came during the weekly movie night onboard the ISS, where astronauts from both camps would sit together to enjoy movies.

However, Hollywood stereotypes about Russians made the ritual awkward.

Mr Vande Hei said: “I realized at one point that all the bad guys were Russians.

“It kind of gives me chills even thinking about it because at one point, I looked at my cosmonaut crewmates and said, ‘How does that make you feel?’

“And they said, ‘It’s kind of scary when we see that everybody in the United States, the mass media in the United States, is portraying Russians as the bad guys.'”

He added that the crew adapted to these difficulties by adopting a strategy in which “everybody got a turn to pick a movie they’d seen and wanted to share with everybody else.”


Dmitry Rogozin threatened to abandon Mr Vande Hei. (Image: MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV / Sputnik / AFP via Getty Images)

Astronauts and Cosmonauts may no longer enjoy movie nights together.

The NASA astronaut also noted that the movie nights were on a “previous flight,” which suggests that NASA and Roscosmos space voyagers are no longer watching movies together.

Mr Vande was previously at the centre of US-Russia tensions in space after a Russian official threatened to abandon him in space.

In a terrifying video posted to social media, Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Roscosmos, cast doubt over the astronaut's safety.

However, Roscosmos later backtracked, assuring NASA that they would uphold their promise and let the astronaut leave on board the Russian spacecraft.


From left to right: Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov, NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and Russian cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov.

Express UK || Eurasian Times

Fighting in SPACE ?

Where else would they Clash ? Jupiter ?

Well we don't want that cause I'm I'm currently in jupiter, we should be our planet keepers.

World politics

I prefer such fights over there to wars down here.

Make dem no go press the button wey all nigeria network go off oh.
Imagine airports, banks, Nigeria stock exchange and all the iPhones without internet. . Na beg i dey beg

I tot they were actually throwing punches until i read through everything

Doing of world powers

Good!
Let them continue their fight in space; and anyone that mistakenly falls off and lands in Naija go collect wotowoto

superCleanworks:
Make dem no go press the button wey all nigeria network go off oh. Na beg i dey beg

You be Yahoo boy ?

I get you.

richiemcgold:
I prefer such fights over there to wars down here.

USA hates Russia so much that everything Russia is portray as evil in their media, and movies, US create imaginary enemies to make her citizens occupy.

superCleanworks:
Make dem no go press the button wey all nigeria network go off oh. Na beg i dey beg

that facility has little or nothing to do with your network.

Elvictor:


USA hates Russia so much that everything Russia is portray as evil in their media, and movies, US create imaginary enemies to make her citizens occupy.

So True......

Nooo
I thought Nigeria have her own space station Abi na Satellite in space
Nigeria network no good before and we dey manage am like that

superCleanworks:
Make dem no go press the button wey all nigeria network go off oh. Na beg i dey beg

Elvictor:


USA hates Russia so much that everything Russia is portray as evil in their media, and movies, US create imaginary enemies to make her citizens occupy.

I swear
It’s so funny that USA still need Russia help to bring back her citizens from Space.
If I’m Russia president, I will tell them to leave the Person there inside Space , if the person like make he crashed for Aba or Okitipupa

USA and peace na day and night…..
That country will implode eventually.

Dem carry Vawulence go space, dem carry am go meet the aliens(if they truly exist)

I’m all about the “V”

MITCHELL96:

You be Yahoo boy ?

Na where ur thinking drive you go straight...
So that is all you use network for?
Don't you pay for DSTV?
You do not have an office that needs internet for you and your staff?
You don't book flights online? You no dey travel?
You don't use google maps?

seunny4lif:

Nooo
I thought Nigeria have her own space station Abi na Satellite in space
Nigeria network no good before and we dey manage am like that

All those our NIGCOMSAT wey get spyware and backends full body. If that satellite face your fone as downlink na VIRUSES go tear your phone screen

Haba
Must you say it loud

superCleanworks:


All those our NIGCOMSAT wey get spyware and backends full body. If that satellite face your fone as downlink na VIRUSES go tear your phone screen

richiemcgold:
I prefer such fights over there to wars down here.

Bros you don't know what you are saying. Just one small fist fight up there can send countries 100 years back and send African countries back to stone age.

No think am oh

SEGLIZ:
that facility has little or nothing to do with your network.

Oga take small joke.
Na joke.
I know a lot about satellites But don't tell anybody. Shhhh!

superCleanworks:


Na where ur thinking drive you go straight...
So that is all you use network for?
Don't you pay for DSTV?
You do not have an office that needs internet for you and your staff?
You don't book flights online? You no dey travel?
You don't use google maps?

USA the weaklings...

Na Russia i blame, if na me, i go leave their asses in Space and see how they will get back home. Sheybi they are mad, let us all be madder together

Drenimarcus:
Na Russia i blame, if na me, i go leave their asses in Space and see how they will get back home. Sheybi they are mad, let us all be madder together

I swear
That’s what I will do because if it’s other way round, USA will leave the guy in space

seunny4lif:

I swear
That’s what I will do because if it’s other way round, USA will leave the guy in space

I tell you. I love how Russia is partnering with China in Space tech. They will soon remove the US part from their ISS.

Russia should remove all it equipment from the space station and let it crash.

stop the west's bullies, hypocrisy and double standard to other nation in the world, rest of the world needs russia to counter and balance the west's evil power.

This is not good, these people might just put the whole world in disaray if their fight out there brings about the collapse of the international space station.