--- title: "Head of Russian Space Program Appears to Threaten to Smash US With Space Debris" description: "\"If you block cooperation with us, who will save the ISS from uncontrolled deorbiting and falling into the United States,\" he wrote." date: "2022-02-24" modified: "2022-02-24" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/dmitry-rogozin-space-debris" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "NASA" - "Roscosmos" - "Russia" - "space" --- # Head of Russian Space Program Appears to Threaten to Smash US With Space Debris !["If you block cooperation with us, who will save the ISS from uncontrolled deorbiting and falling into the United States," he wrote.]() *\Image: Getty Images/Futurism\* Dmitry Rogozin, head of Russia's space corporation Roscomos, is [no stranger]() to bizarre outbursts. And now he's back at it. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Rogozin reiterated that aiming new sanctions against Russia's space program could have some disastrous consequences for its adversaries. In fact, Rogozin went as far as to level what appears to be a direct threat at the United States. "If you block cooperation with us, who will save the ISS from uncontrolled deorbiting and falling into the United States," Rogozin [wrote in a genuinely unhinged Twitter rant on Thursday](). He also appeared to threaten several other countries, just for good measure. "There is also the option of dropping a 500-ton structure to India and China," [he wrote](). "Do you want to threaten them with such a prospect? The ISS does not fly over Russia, so all the risks are yours. Are you ready for them?" This afternoon, Biden [levied yet another fresh wave of sanctions]() against the country, with the aim of cutting it off economically from the rest of the world — and [actively undermine the country's space program](). "As you noticed, we, nevertheless, continue to make our own spacecraft," Rogozin wrote. "And we will build them by expanding the production of the necessary components and devices at home." "Do you want to ban all countries from launching their spacecraft on the most reliable Russian rockets in the world?" he added. Rogozin also complained that the sanctions were going to destroy space competition, adding that Biden was throwing a wrench between Russian and US cooperation when it comes to training astronauts. It's a difficult-to-reconcile perspective, not the least because Russia's own spacecraft have repeatedly put the International Space Station and its occupants in danger. In October for instance, a Russian-made Soyuz spacecraft docked to the ISS [caused the entire station spin almost out of control]() after it unexpectedly fired its thrusters. And then there was the time Russia intentionally blew up one of its satellites with a missile, creating a cloud of over 1,000 trackable and [very dangerous pieces]() of space debris. Russia has made its bed by invading Ukraine, cutting itself off politically from the world — and given Rogozin's perspective, its space program will likely have to forge its own path going forward as well. **More on Rogozin:** *[Russian Space Boss Mocked for Accusing Journalist of War Crimes]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()