Since 1998, the International Space Station (ISS) has orbited the Earth and served as a point of global collaboration and research that is typically above — literally — terrestrial conflict. That appears to be ending. On Tuesday, the head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, Yuri Borisov, announced the country would leave the ISS in 2024 to start its own orbital space station.
Word of Russia’s withdrawal comes as the country has been ostracized from the international community for its invasion of Ukraine. Russia has threatened to do this before though, both in April of this year and also prior to deciding to declare war on a sovereign nation.
