Episode 1402: The Heavens Above, The Troubles Below

The concept that space unites nations on Earth is tested like never before. In a rare single topic installment of Talking Space, the team pauses its regular reports and observations of the space sphere and examines the impact of the current geopolitical circumstances and the short and long-term impact they may have on space exploration going forward. Recorded on the evening of Saturday, March 5th, 2022, we look at the implications the Russian-Ukraine conflict will have on the International Space Station and its logistics chain, both transporting crew, and cargo. Also, what impacts are there to various other launch service providers, many of whom are already in a state of transition with their booster programs, and who may be most vulnerable to the situation? Another area we place under our microscope:  the status of the Russian space program going into this crisis, the damage caused by the conflict plus some wounds that the agency may have inflicted upon itself since the start of hostilities. We attempt to take on the big question of what the future hold for Roscosmos, the ISS partnership, and future cooperative efforts. All this and more in this episode of Talking Space. Show recorded: 3-5-2022 Host: Sawyer Rosenstein Panelists: Dr. Kat Robison Hasani, Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman