Elon Musk says SpaceX could stop the ISS crashing into Earth following Russian sanctions

[midian182]

What just happened? Elon Musk has responded to a tweet from Russian space chief Dmitry Rogozin that asked who will save the International Space Station (ISS) from crashing into Earth. The world’s richest person’s answer was a logo of SpaceX.

The many sanctions imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine last week will “degrade [Russia’s] aerospace industry, including their space program,” said President Joe Biden. The news prompted a series of tweets from Rogozin, the head of Russia state space corporation, Roscosmos, that claimed without their participation, there would be no one to correct the ISS’ orbit, causing it to crash somewhere in the US, Europe, India, or China.

"There is also the option of dropping a 500-ton structure to India and China. 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?" Rogozin said in another Tweet.

While NASA does rely on Russia to keep the ISS in orbit and stop it from entering the Earth’s atmosphere, Wayne Hale, former program manager of NASA’s Space Shuttle and a member of NASA’s Advisory Council, told The Verge this would take several years, leaving NASA plenty of time to find a solution.

pic.twitter.com/4kRJyp0FOv

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 26, 2022

One answer could come from Elon Musk. He tweeted a logo of SpaceX as a reply to Rogozin’s rant, and when another Twitter user asked if he was being serious, the CEO wrote a simple “yes.”

Pete Harding, the International Space Station Editor for NASASpaceFlight.com, posted a lengthy Twitter thread explaining how SpaceX’s Dragon craft could dock with the ISS to provide reboost capability and attitude control, which Musk complimented.

With Cygnus near to Dragon on the aft end of the station, and two Dragons docked to the forward end, this would give very good attitude control capability, and provide multiple reboost options. pic.twitter.com/jPp5JnsYHE

— Pete 🚀 🛰 (@Space_Pete) February 25, 2022

The good news is that both NASA and Roscosmos have confirmed they are still cooperating on the ISS, so Musk’s intervention might not be necessary. If it is, let’s hope things go better than when he tried to rescue the Thai soccer team trapped in a flooded cave system.

In other Elon Musk news, the Tesla boss saw his status as the only person worth over $200 billion come to an end last week.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/93573-elon-musk-spacex-could-stop-iss-crashing-earth.html

 

[captaincranky]

In other Elon Musk news, the Tesla boss saw his status as the only person worth over $200 billion come to an end last week.

You're seriously not suggesting we go there again, are you?

 

[ypsylon]

It's excellent idea to call the bluff quickly and without any room for interpretation. Most of folks up there are Russian anyway so they will kill innocent Russian astronauts for political statement.

I don't like Musk at all, but he's proved many times nothing is impossible; and NASA's Pete Harding did the "heavy" writing to utterly discredit those *****s from Kremlin.

I'm sure that Putin's clique of stalinists are way over their collective KGB empty skulls. They still think its 1945 or something.

Just to humor myself (for now hypothetical), a question for Putler. How do you think China or India would respond if you dump them 500 tones of toxic waste on their heads? Just curious, asking for a friend.

 

[captaincranky]

Just to humor myself (for now hypothetical), a question for Putler. How do you think China or India would respond if you dump them 500 tones of toxic waste on their heads? Just curious, asking for a friend.

I think they should go with dropping it on China, That way, they won't be so all buddy, buddy, anymore.

Besides, I don't think India could afford the amount of tanks they'd need to surround Russia.

 

[Uncle Al]

Russia is so despite now they will say anything so having Musk identify it goes to "takes one to know one" nicely. Our press is reporting that Putin is so isolated that even his own hand picked oligarch's are starting to question him. If that continues he's end up in a Russian prison in the not too distant future and that future is easily predicted by the mass protests in Russia against him.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Our press is reporting that Putin is so isolated that even his own hand picked oligarch's are starting to question him. If that continues he's end up in a Russian prison in the not too distant future and that future is easily predicted by the mass protests in Russia against him.

While I doubt his support is lacking nearly as much as our media portrays, he would never be sent to prison... the "exit strategy" for him can only be death. (It's the major downside of being a dictator).

 

[hahahanoobs]

I just hope people don't just go back to "normal" after this war. Far more needs to be done in regards to democracy and white supremacy across the globe.

I will clap when the war is over, but I won't cheer loudly.

 

[wiyosaya]

While I cannot claim to like Musky in the least, IMO, this is a great move on his part to counteract the crazies in Russia extolling Putin's wack-job propaganda.

 

[scavengerspc]

Yep add me. Not a Musk fan (personally) but that was a quick, simple slap back.

 

[captaincranky]

While I cannot claim to like Musky in the least, IMO, this is a great move on his part to counteract the crazies in Russia extolling Putin's wack-job propaganda.

Since, (AFAIK), there are children on the ISS, Musk won't have the opportunity to create an international incident by calling anyone a "pedophile", while he's there. How does one say "pedophile" in Russian?

Then again, he may be ready for the mission a couple of years after the station is laying in India.

Hey, I'm not trying to be catty, but he always does seem to be two years late with every project he's worked on, or promised.

 

[wiyosaya]

Since, (AFAIK), there are children on the ISS, Musk won't have the opportunity to create an international incident by calling anyone a "pedophile", while he's there. How does one say "pedophile" in Russian?

Since you asked - from an online translator - педофил

 

[Avro Arrow]

I've never been so glad that Canada is where it is.

 

[captaincranky]

Since you asked - from an online translator - педофил

Yeah, well if you're so smart, how do I get my computer to print Cyrillic characters?

I've always wanted the cute upside down question mark for posting in Spanglish too. So what if they get pulled? At least I'll have done my part

 

[captaincranky]

I've never been so glad that Canada is where it is.

I've always wanted to visit there........(drum roll)........Maybe say, in July or August., so I don't get stuck behind a bunch of salt trucks. (Ba, dum, dump).

 

[yannus]

Russia is so despite now they will say anything so having Musk identify it goes to "takes one to know one" nicely. Our press is reporting that Putin is so isolated that even his own hand picked oligarch's are starting to question him. If that continues he's end up in a Russian prison in the not too distant future and that future is easily predicted by the mass protests in Russia against him.

Could be a good idea not to watch too much "your press". According to the world economic forum, the target of the "great reset" is the US, not Russia. If you look at the inflation and debt, you'll understand that the elite on both fake sides won't lose, but western peoples will lose everything. The war is only partly where they say, the big part of it is against all of us.

 

[Inthenstus]

I just hope people don't just go back to "normal" after this war. Far more needs to be done in regards to democracy and white supremacy across the globe.

I will clap when the war is over, but I won't cheer loudly.

What????

 

[wiyosaya]

Yeah, well if you're so smart, how do I get my computer to print Cyrillic characters?

I've always wanted the cute upside down question mark for posting in Spangish too. So what if they get pulled? At least I'll have done my part

I've primarily been using Windohs 10, besides that, I don't have a need for anything other than US English, however, this might help. https://www.wikihow.com/Change-the-Language-in-Windows-7
Maybe YouTube has something, too?
One need not be smart in these things especially with your fiber connection and a reasonable search engine. It does look like, however, with 7, changing language might be dependent on the version you have.

 

[captaincranky]

@wiyosaya Suffice it to say, I was just breaking your ballz.

I have absolutely no need whatsoever to change the language on any of my machines.
It was though, a poorly structured musing of how to get individual specialized characters. out of, or put onto, my keyboard. Like the inside out, upside down question mark, and an exponent function might come in handy once every 5 years or so.

But I agree, that's research I should do on my own. Peace.

BTW, I had to go back and edit that post twice. It seems that I spelled, "Spanglish" wrong twice, and the damn spell checker still doesn't agree with me, when I'm positive I'm right.

Coda: Feel free to break my ballz back, by telling me to, "put it in the dictionary". I should add, "ballz", while I'm at it, ey?

 

[wiyosaya]

I have absolutely no need whatsoever to change the language on any of my machines.
It was though, a poorly structured musing of how to get individual specialized characters. out of, or put onto, my keyboard. Like the inside out, upside down question mark, and an exponent function might come in handy once every 5 years or so.

@captaincranky Certainly, do both or whatever suits your fancy!

BTW - I did just think of a way on Windohs to get those characters. I've used it before. Try the "Character Map" that might get you what you want without having to switch languages. Its in all versions of windohs without prejudice!

 

[captaincranky]

Try the "Character Map" that might get you what you want without having to switch languages. Its in all versions of windohs without prejudice!

Shush, not so loud, Nadella might put out an "update" to remove it.

I know, I know, I'm paranoid. In the same way I think that Russian trolls or wannabe FSB operatives, are inhabiting this site. But we both know that can't be happening, right?

 

[wiyosaya]

Shush, not so loud, Nadella might put out an "update" to remove it.

I know, I know, I'm paranoid. In the same way I think that Russian trolls or wannabe FSB operatives, are inhabiting this site. But we both know that can't be happening, right?

Never in a million + one years.

 

[Avro Arrow]

Yeah, well if you're so smart, how do I get my computer to print Cyrillic characters?

I've always wanted the cute upside down question mark for posting in Spanglish too. So what if they get pulled? At least I'll have done my part

Your computer can print those already. If you mean typing in Cyrillic however, you'd need a Cyrillic keyboard.

I've always wanted to visit there........(drum roll)........Maybe say, in July or August., so I don't get stuck behind a bunch of salt trucks. (Ba, dum, dump).

You're not wrong if you want to visit Winnipeg. However, if you want to visit our most populated areas (The Windsor - Quebec City corridor) I would recommend coming in late May or early June. July and August get oppressively hot in that part of the country.

I once confused an American in Flori-d'uh by saying "Damn right it gets hot in Canada! I've seen it hit thirty-eight degrees in July and August!". His face showed a mix of confusion and pity.

Once I was out of earshot, I just couldn't stop myself from !!!

 

[wiyosaya]

You're not wrong if you want to visit Winnipeg. However, if you want to visit our most populated areas (The Windsor - Quebec City corridor) I would recommend coming in late May or early June. July and August get oppressively hot in that part of the country.

I've been to NL in that time frame, and it even gets opressively hot there. Not to mention, I was almost carried away by swarms of mosquitos - which I imagine were due to the fact that there is so little mosquito prey there.

I once confused an American in Flori-d'uh by saying "Damn right it gets hot in Canada! I've seen it hit thirty-eight degrees in July and August!". His face showed a mix of confusion and pity.

I can imagine. Whoever it was was probably thinking something along the lines of 38? WTF? 38 Sounds pretty cold to me. What's he mean - hot?

Once I was out of earshot, I just couldn't stop myself from !!!

Certainly, this must have been a memorable part of your journey!

 

[captaincranky]

I once confused an American in Flori-d'uh by saying "Damn right it gets hot in Canada! I've seen it hit thirty-eight degrees in July and August!". His face showed a mix of confusion and pity.

So, a hunnert (F)? We get about 30 days a summer over 90 F. Do you get the oppressive heat Indexes? We get up to about 110 F with the humidity. With my air conditioners set @ 79 F, I can't get the RH below 60 from the end of June until the middle of September. It usually takes until January for the top on my acoustic 12 string to level out to the point of being "easily" playable again.

PHL doesn't tell the truth about night time lows.The temps don't bleed off half as well in the city..

PS: I got the joke right off, which is why I felt duty bound to embolden all the "F's".

 

[captaincranky]

I've been to NL in that time frame, and it even gets opressively hot there. Not to mention, I was almost carried away by swarms of mosquitos - which I imagine were due to the fact that there is so little mosquito prey there.

Not to mention we sent the poor buggers all our snow storms this year. (By "NL" you do mean, Newfoundland & Labrador., si)?

Speaking of mosquitoes, apparently they're Ted Cruz' private air force. https://time.com/4940925/hurricane-harvey-texas-air-force-mosquitoes/

Still, it could have been worse. Either digging the Panama Canal, being in Transylvania, or having to sit through Nicholas Cage as Dracula.