Rogozin was likely referring to the U.S. refusal to renew the Intermediate-range Forces Treaty and its intention to back out of the Open Skies Treaty.

Russia responded by declaring that Venus is a "Russian planet." The U.S. continues to reject Sino-Russian efforts to strengthen the Outer Space Treaty 1967, to prohibit the weaponization of space. Doing so would interfere with U.S. plans for "full spectrum dominance."

MOON LANDING 2.0

Last week on 22 September, the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) signed a memorandum with the Department of Defense (DOD). The signers were NASA's administrator, Jim Bridenstine, and the U.S. Space Force Chief of Operations General, John Raymond.

The signing of the memo took place in the broader context of NASA's Artemis program. In December 2017, Donald Trump signed the Presidential Memorandum on Reinvigorating America's Human Space Exploration Program. It was an update of Obama's space policy, adding that the U.S. will: "Lead an innovative and sustainable program of exploration with commercial and international partners to enable human expansion across the solar system and to bring back to Earth new knowledge and opportunities."