Russian cosmonauts 'shocked' by controversy over arriving at International Space Station in yellow spacesuits, NASA astronauts say

Cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveyev and Sergey Korsakov were surprised by the controversy over their spacesuits, Vande He said.

“It just so happened that the three were connected to the same university, and I think they were kind of surprised by it,” he told a news conference.

Vande Hei said he was not shy about discussing the war with fellow ISS crew.

“The discussions weren’t very long, but I asked them how they felt and sometimes asked specific questions, but our focus was on our mission together.”

Vande Hei landed in Kazakhstan in a Russian Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft on March 30 after breaking the record for 355 days in space. He traveled back from the space station with cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Peter Dubrov.

geopolitical tensions

His return from the International Space Station was highly anticipated and drew unprecedented attention due to the escalating geopolitical tensions fueled by the head of the Russian Space Agency, Dmitry Rogozin, who made several fiery posts on social media directed at the United States.

This included Rogozin’s retweet of a partially animated video that appeared to threaten Russian cosmonauts to abandon Vande Hee in space. Rogozin also got involved in a Twitter altercation with retired NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who held the record for the longest time an American astronaut in space until Vandy Hee surpassed him.

NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hee is transferred to a medical tent shortly after he and fellow crew members Peter Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos landed on their Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft near the town of Zizkazgan on March 30, 2022 in Zizkazgan, Kazakhstan.

Vande Hei said he heard about the tweets from his wife. “I’ve never really understood those tweets as something to be taken seriously,” he said, adding that he saw the tweets target a “different audience” other than him.

He said, “I just didn’t spend a lot of emotional energy caring for her. I heard about her. I kind of laughed at her and got over it.”

Russian cosmonauts raise speculation after arriving at the International Space Station in the colors of Ukraine

On Saturday, Rogozin suggested in a series of tweets that Russia He may end cooperation with the ISS due to international sanctions imposed on Moscow and said that Russia will prepare “concrete proposals for the leadership of our country” on the possibility of ending cooperation on the ISS with space agencies in the United States, Canada and the European Union Japan.

NASA said, “The professional relationship between our international partners, astronauts, and astronauts continues for the safety and mission of all aboard the International Space Station.”

Other parts of Russia’s space program have been affected by the war in Ukraine. The Mars rover project in the country With ESA hanging.

The Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft is seen landing in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan with NASA's Mark Vande Hei and Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov Wednesday, March 30.

Russian crewmates “Dear Friends”

Vande He declined to reveal how the Russians on board felt the invasion of Ukraine. “These are the things I’d rather have them get firsthand than share their opinion on it,” he said.

He said the invasion itself was “heartbreaking, very sad” and he felt “helpless” in learning about it during his stay in space. Vande Hei said that did not change his feelings for his fellow Russians.

“They were, are, and will continue to be my dear friends. We supported each other in everything. I had no qualms about being able to continue working with them.”

Upon landing after his record-breaking mission, Vande Hei said he was able to walk after about eight hours, though he said he was wobbly.

He was also happy to sip some guacamole for the first time in a year, he said, and was shocked at how much it feels to be back on Earth after so long in space.

“It’s a little disappointing how normal it is.”

CNN’s Rachel Crane and Ross Levitt contributed to this report.