Russian deputy PM sends sour tweet about space programme relations

Deputy Prime Minster Dmitry Rogozin, head of the Russian space program, suggested NASA use a trampoline to get to space rather than Russian rockets. The biting suggestion was tweeted by Rogozin on his Russian language Twitter account after U.S. sanctions were implemented on Russia's export license for high-tech items and froze Rogozin's operational accounts. "After analyzing the sanctions against our space industry, I suggest to the USA to bring their astronauts to the International Space Station using a trampoline," tweeted Rogozin. ??????????????? ??????? ?????? ?????? ??????????, ????????? ??? ?????????? ????? ??????????? ?? ??? ? ??????? ?????? http://t.co/8zGQhr9GVi— Dmitry Rogozin (@Rogozin) April 29, 2014 The U.S. currently relies on purchasing seats on the Russian Soyuz rocket in order to reach the ISS since NASA ended its shuttle program in 2011. This is one reason Russia might want to reconsider that threat. The U.S. purchases each seat on the Soyuz for $71 million per person per flight and owes Russia $457.9 million in service fees. The use of the Russian Soyuz is a stop-gap until private companies such as SpaceX and Orbital Sciences have vehicles ready for manned spaceflight. Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, took the opportunity to make a quip on Twitter saying his company could definitely take advantage of the Russian animosity. Sounds like this might be a good time to unveil the new Dragon Mk 2 spaceship that @SpaceX has been working on w @NASA. No trampoline needed— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 29, 2014 There are two U.S. astronauts aboard the ISS and continuing sanctions between the two countries could endanger the future of both nations' space programs.