Lawmakers warned this week that escalating tensions with Russia may leave the U.S. without ready transport to the ISS after NASA retires the space shuttle fleet in 2010.
The space agency does not expect the shuttle’s replacement, the Orionan Apollo-like craft being developed as part of the Constellation programto be ready to fly until 2015. NASA’s plan was for the interim was to use Russian Soyuz craft to send up crew and cargo to the $100 billion station.
How awkward would it be if the Russian relief showed up in 2010 and left the American on board? Kind of hard to ask Russia for a hitch to space while you’re actively running logistics to their Georgian enemies.
It’s an interesting scenario to wargame out: If Ivan refuses to send up American astronauts and sticks to a Russia-only crew, does that mean that they’d be guilty of the first documented case of space hijacking?
That said, Russia will probably honor the agreement. They’ll want to avoid the natural influx of funding Congress would send to NASA to fast track Orion or keep the shuttles running for 5 more years.
Lucrative business, spacelift.
–John Noonan
How quick people are to forget the Russian’s contributions thus far, which include bringing the capability to continue manning the ISS after the post-Columbia Shuttle standdown. It is not the Russians you have to worry about, they’ll sell you all the Soyuz they could build if you only payed the rubles necessary, but rather the hand wringing of chicken little politicians, who immediately project a diplomatic contention onto a subject as far removed as possible.
If only they took a better look at what is causing this prolonged use of the Soyuz in the first place, the debacle and boondoggle that is the Ares 1. Replace that with one of the several better options available, and they won’t have to let their imaginations run wild with implausible scenarios about the big bad Russians.
Who really cares about that flying piece of sht rotating around the earth, damn things a waste of billions anyway, i’d imagine if a poll was taken perhaps 1 out of say 1 million would agree to keep that peice of crap lurking up there. All it was was an excercise in global cooperation but thats fallen apart now anyway what with the Soviet, sorry i mean Russian games these past weeks.
Privitize Space Tourisim & have tourists visit the ISS & dont rely on Soyuz capsules unless we launch em from the US– Yes produce Newer Soyuz capsules in the US unless use a Next Gen Spaceplane.
Very scary situation should Russia NOT launch Soyuz into Space.
& we have NO backup plan.
Dumb move.
“Very scary situation should Russia NOT launch Soyuz into Space.
& we have NO backup plan.
Dumb move.“
I’d say it is a dumb move yes, in the sense that those who set up this whole international program failed to see that relations between America and Russia could well one day take a serious beating: I mean its always been pretty clear that there mindest hasn’t changed as we are now witnessing in Georgia. Very very nieve to think that we could rely on and trust them in the long term. I’m not saying were in a new cold war, no, what i’m saying is we are still in the first one.
Space Shuttle.
There has been discussions in the past, to adapt the European ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle) into a manned flight system. If NASA couldn’t keep the shuttle flying for some reason… that would seem a likely choice.
We were once the best space nation in history. Now we are reduce to waiting on the bear to help limp up to space. Then on top of all that we are sending up a updated version of the Apollo spacecraft. Congress needs to get off their high horse and stop thinking that this big blue ball is a huge community and that we all can get along. That will the Death of the United States of America. Get rid of welfare, and Nanny state project and promote the US industial power to advance us into the next frontier.
How hard is it to take bids? I’d bet you private industry could get a service in by 2010.
NAZI BUMFLUFF