Russia has decided to stop supplying rocket engines to the United States in retaliation for sanctions imposed on it over the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This was officially announced by Dmitry Rogozin, head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos.
"In a situation like this we can't supply the US with our best rocket engines. Let them fly with something else, a broomstick maybe, I don't know," Rogozin said, sarcastically speaking to the US.
According to Rogozin, Russia has delivered a total of 122 RD-180 engines to the US since the 1990s. A total of 98 of them have been used to power the Atlas launch vehicle.
Roscosmos will also discontinue servicing of rocket engines previously delivered to the US. Until now, the US still has 24 machines and Russia intends to leave it because it no longer wants to provide technical assistance to the US.
Russia previously said it was suspending cooperation with Europe on space launches from the Kourou space airport in French Guiana, in retaliation for Western sanctions over Russia's attack on Ukraine.
The Moscow government is also demanding assurances from British satellite company OneWeb that its satellites will not be used for military purposes. OneWeb, in which the British government has a stake, said it was suspending all launches from Russia's Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
"Russia will now focus on creating a dual-purpose spacecraft in accordance with the needs of Roscosmos and the Ministry of Defense," concluded Rogozin.