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Russian Space Agency threatens to leave NASA astronaut aboard ISS amid invasion of Ukraine

After nearly a year in space, NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei is scheduled to return to Earth on March 30.

HOUSTON — As the conflict continues to escalate in Eastern Europe, tension is reaching new heights in space.

RELATED: Russia keeps up attacks in Ukraine as two sides hold talks

"Do you want tension in space flight? Heck no!" retired NASA astronaut Clay Anderson said. "But sometimes you can't avoid it."

Anderson spent 152 days on the International Space Station during his mission.

"The media in Russia called us 'Three Musketeers' in orbit and 'Space Brothers,'" Anderson said. "As far as I'm concerned, we were going to do anything we could to take care of each other and the Space Station and survive our mission together."

That was in 2007. Right now, Russia and the United States couldn't be further apart.

"I have a lot of Russian friends, Ukrainian friends," retired NASA astronaut Scott Kelly said. "I have Ukrainian family members."

Kelly, one of America's most famous former astronauts, got into a war of words with the chief of Russia's Space Agency on social media. He even said he'd return the Russian Medal "For Merit in Exploration."

"Absolutely insane that the Russian Space Agency ... that they would produce and release something that would show them abandoning a crew member in space," Kelly said.

NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei is the crew member Kelly is referring to. After nearly a year in space, his return to Earth is scheduled for March 30.

RELATED: NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei on track to record 355 days in space

NASA said it's confident the war on the ground won't impact international relationships in space.

"We're aware of what's going on, but we're able to do our jobs and continue operations," ISS Program Manager Joel Montalbano said.

Vande Hei, the astronaut on the verge of breaking the U.S. single spaceflight record of 340 days, may face his most complex assignment yet as he rides a Russian Soyuz spacecraft with two Russian cosmonauts back to Earth.

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