Russia and the US proceed to cooperate on the ISS. “Despite everything”

The relation between the United States and Russia is more tense than always before — despite the fact that NASA's astronaut, Jonny Kim, proves that discipline and the common ambitions of space conquest can transcend the boundaries of hard politics. On March 26, 2025, Kim, along with 2 Russian cosmonauts, docked aboard the global Space Station. Despite the closeness on the Moscow - Washington line, it is hard to talk of friendly relations between countries.

Soyuz rocket, launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, brought the MS-27 ship into orbit as planned. A small over 3 hours later, the vehicle was safely docked at ISS. And it is not the first specified success, the Russians have been doing large with flights and docking on the ISS for years – but in the context of current geopolitical tensions, each specified mission is simply a hopeful symbol of cooperation over divisions that are now visible as never before. This cooperation — as we know — is over. The West will have its station, and the Russian-Chinese coalition will have its own.

Eight months above Earth

The mission crew consists of 3 astronauts: American Jonny Kim and Russians Sergei Ryżikov and Alexey Zubrycki. Before them, about 240 days of work on board the ISS. This time will be filled not only with experiments but besides with preparations for future, more ambitious missions – including possible flights to the Moon and Mars. However, these efforts will already be carried out separately, due to the fact that as we know, the US and Russia are at least not on the way to further conquest of space.

Kim is an highly interesting character here. Born in Los Angeles, he is simply a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy, a qualified airman, and an air surgeon.. He was previously besides a associate of the elite Navy SEALs unit. So it can be said that the presence of specified a well-deserved character on the station is not accidental – NASA entrusted him with conducting technological experiments and investigating modern technologies to service both astronauts and residents on Earth.

Why are we going into space?

While at ISS Jonny Kim, he will test water recycling technologies, crew intellectual wellness systems and diagnostic and therapeutic methods that can improve medicine on Earth. Long-term missions are an perfect laboratory for investigation on the effects of microgravity on the human body – these data are essential to think about establishing colonies on another planets. Don't decision without it.

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However, the MS-27 mission can be viewed somewhat differently. It is 1 of the inactive functioning relics of the erstwhile rapprochement of the US and Russia, which followed the period of the Cold War and the collapse of the russian Union. Despite current political tensions, the space station remains 1 of the last bastions of Kim's erstwhile accounts, Ryżikow and Zubrycki join a crew made up of Americans, nipponese and another Russian cosmonauts, forming a multinational squad that cooperates each day at a ceiling of 400 kilometres above Earth.

What's next with ISS?

The United States is planning to make its own commercial stations, while Russia declared its desire to retreat from the ISS after 2028. Nevertheless, the current mission shows that technological cooperation is inactive possible — and since it takes place, it is desirable by all stakeholders. However, it is worth asking questions about what is next, due to the fact that it is not so clear. Indeed, the ISS no longer demands and will should be replaced with a newer solution. But should this take place in the atmosphere of the finalisation of the hard division between the “west” and “the rest”? The technological community tries to be apolitical, although it is known how it sometimes looks. Unfortunately, discipline is dependent on politics and it is seldom the discipline of "shock" politics.

ISS is simply a peculiar place. any see a test for the human psyche here. The station's crew must deal with isolation, weightlessness, deficiency of privacy and constant pressure. There man is definitely confronted not only with space, but besides with himself. possibly that is what brings people there, who most likely on Earth would argue about who started in Ukraine, or who has a bigger mess in their country.

It'll be a shame to lose it.

Jonny Kim and his companions in space travel are a kind of symbol. Another one, by the way. In fact, seemingly different people — in all way — merge together for 1 purpose, despite the large tensions between countries. In a planet as it is "conceived" geopolitically, it is simply a simpler, more complete way. Wars (in any way), friction, provocations service either to finalize the existing system, or to make the rich even richer. Despite the hard times of “here and now” let us remember that there were moments erstwhile we all agreed. And that ISS is 1 of the last “reminiscent” of this state of affairs.