Russian cosmonauts arrive at International Space Station in Ukrainian flag colored flight suits – HotAir

3 Russian cosmonauts blasted off from Earth on Friday with their spot the International Space Station (ISS). When they emerged a few hrs later after docking, their flight satisfies brought on fairly a stir. The flight fits were being in the shades of the Ukrainian flag.

The AP photograph earlier mentioned is just one of Putin and Roskosmos CEO Igor Komarov, and deputy premier Dmitry Rogozin during a take a look at to Roskosmos in Moscow. I point out that simply because the arrival of the cosmonauts at the ISS was livestreamed by the Russian house agency, Roscosmos. The sight of the cosmonauts in yellow and blue flight fits must have been awkward. The cosmonauts joked about it to lighten any tension again on earth.

On a dwell stream established up by Russian space company Roscosmos, the 3 cosmonauts — Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveyev and Sergey Korsakov — could be found entering the area station just one by just one, floating in the zero-gravity setting, and hugging the seven astronauts who were being already in orbit. Their bright yellow outfits also includes two patches of blue, white and crimson — the colours of the Russian flag — on the arm and upper body.

Soon following achieving the Worldwide House Station, the trio spoke to callers on the telephone, like with loved ones members who wished them a profitable mission. When questioned by a caller about their apparel choice, Artemyev responded that each individual crew is authorized to decide its very own shades from a stock offer of equipment.

“We basically had a lot of yellow content, so we experienced to use it,” Artemyev discussed. “So that is why we experienced to have on yellow.”

Ballsy go, gentlemen. I hope they are allowed to go house to their family members on their return to Russia and not held by the Mad Gentleman of Moscow.

A few of previous American astronauts acknowledged the gesture in help of Ukrainians on Twitter. Terry Virts, a.k.a. Astro Terry, features his assistance for Ukraine in his Twitter bio.

Wow. Just wow. Effectively done. За экипаж! https://t.co/qwlZLRR3H0

— Terry Virts (@AstroTerry) March 18, 2022

Scott Kelly, a former ISS commander and twin brother of Mark Kelly, tweeted out his shock, too.

Три российских космонавта, только что пристыковавшиеся к Международной космической станции, прибыли в украинском желтом!

Three Russian cosmonauts who just docked with the ISS arrive in Ukrainian yellow! pic.twitter.com/mJGRKuzV5v

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) March 18, 2022

Are the flight suits a political assertion? Of course, of course they are. Some say that yellow and blue depict the colors of Bauman Moscow Point out Technological College, the alma mater of the cosmonauts. It is described as a notable establishment for engineering studies. We know that Putin is cracking down on Russian protests against his war in Ukraine and has shut down impartial media shops, which includes banning social media platforms. He has jailed countless numbers of anti-war protesters, as protesting the Russian govt is versus the legislation. Precisely how significantly typical Russians know about Putin’s invasion into Ukraine is in issue, as most don’t have obtain to information on recent situations. What they get is Putin’s propaganda. Individuals in help of Putin’s war have adopted the letter “Z” as their signal of approval.

Since Putin invaded Ukraine, the relationship among Russia and the United States in partnership in the house method has been strained. Rogozin threatened to reduce off the supply of Russian-made rocket engines in rockets that fly supplies to the place station but rumors of severed ties proved bogus. The collaboration remains in position and an American astronaut presently at the area station will not be stranded in room.

On March 5, RIA Novosti, a media community owned by the Russian governing administration, posted a video to its Telegram channel that it claimed was developed by Roscosmos, the Russian room company. RIA Novosti claimed the movie “jokingly” depicts Russia withdrawing from the Worldwide House Station (ISS) plan.

In the video clip, the Russian cosmonauts wave goodbye to Mark Vande Hei, an American astronaut on the house station, just before detaching the Russian phase of the space station and departing.

But none of that in fact occurred the space station stays intact, and neither NASA or Roscosmos have suggested their cooperation will close for the time staying.

“We are not obtaining any indications at a doing work amount that our counterparts are not dedicated to ongoing procedure of the Worldwide Area Station,” Kathy Lueders, the direct on NASA’s human spaceflight software, said in a Feb. 28 press briefing. “We as a workforce are operating just like we were being operating three months back.”

A NASA weblog posted on March 14 gave updates on a review the two Russians aboard the place station have been conducting, indicating that they keep on being on the ISS.

A NASA spokesperson confirmed in a statement to Verify that there have been no variations or prepared variations to the partnership among the two nations around the world.

Oh to be a fly on the wall when Putin noticed the cosmonauts in their flight fits for the to start with time. Godspeed, gentlemen.