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Space Exploration For U.S. Still Limited

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin took to Twitter Tuesday (4/29) to show his feelings about the United States' most recent sanctions. Rogozin tweeted: "After analyzing the sanctions against our space industry, I suggest that the USA bring their astronauts to the International Space Station using a trampoline." Rogozin's reaction is a dig at the most recent sanctions leveled by the U.S. in response to the Ukraine crisis. The White House issued a statement that they will "deny export license applications for any high-technology items that could contribute to Russia's military capabilities. Those Departments also will revoke any existing export licenses that meet these conditions." This directly impacts the Russian tech sector, specifically satellites and the defense industry. The dust-up has, again, brought to light the limited options the U.S. has in getting astronauts into space and space exploration in general since the Space Shuttle program ended in 2011. Tom Durkin, Deputy Director of the South Dakota Space Grant Consortium, addresses these concerns and talked about where the U.S. stands with respect to opportunities for space exploration compared to other countries, especially in the areas of technology, research and war.