Russia Today has unconfirmed reports that Russia announced today a plan to shut down all 11 American-run GPS stations within Russian territory starting June 1. Russia has also threatened to stop supplying the rocket engines the US uses to launch military satellites into orbit.
Allegedly, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin announced the move in response to the United States’ refusal to allow Russia to build a signal correction station for its GLONASS satellite navigation system on US territory. Interactions regarding the two nations’ space programs have been particularly rocky lately, in no part helped by the fact that the US relies on Russian rockets to send astronauts to the International Space Station and launch military satellites into orbit.
We will update this story as more details become available. [RT via NasaWatch]
Picture: file photo of Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin (AP)