The International Space Station has been orbiting above us for the last 20 years. It’s an international partnership of five space agencies and it’s been home to astronauts from more than a dozen different countries — but mostly, Americans and Russians. The two former “Space Race” countries control the main parts of the station. And because the science done there has required close collaboration, it’s been largely insulated from politics on Earth.
But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine may change that. The two countries have agreed to cooperate through 2024… but after that, the future of the space station is uncertain.
This video is part of our ongoing, broader coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. For more videos that provide historical context to the headlines in the news today, watch our playlist here.
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