NASA's Five-Year Hiatus Will See The US Rely On The Russian Space Program

STAR CITY, Russia -- This place was once no place, a secret military base northeast of Moscow that did not show up on maps. The Soviet Union trained its astronauts here to fight on the highest battlefield of the cold war: space.

Yet these days, Star City is the place for America's hard-won orbital partnership with Russia, where astronauts train to fly aboard Soyuz spacecraft. And in two years Star City will be the only place to send astronauts from any nation to the International Space Station.

The gap is coming: from 2010, when the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shuts down the space shuttle program, to 2015, when the next generation of American spacecraft is scheduled to arrive, NASA expects to have no human flight capacity and will depend on Russia to get to the $100 billion station, buying seats on Soyuz craft as space tourists do.

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Comments

[BlackTom]

Flat out Un- American !

Bush just busting up as much stuff as he can find. Screw the country.

What the hell is wrong with these people ???

Selling out our space program to the @(&$#*! Commies ???!!!!!

What planet is this ?

I feel betrayed.

[MagisterLudi]

There is no national science just as there is no national multiplication table; what is national is no longer science. ~Anton Chekhov

[MagisterLudi]

"What planet is this?"
Obviously not yours. Deal with it.

[ContraEgoiste]

So, does this officialy makes us a third world nation??

Thanks republicans.

[MagisterLudi]

No, this makes us partners in space exploration.

[GEM-592]

I'm shocked to learn that apparently there are several people left with both current knowledge of NASA projects and political differences with our dear president; I thought surely the political purges in the US space industry post 9/11 had rooted them all out. Back when it was fashionable to wear the flag pin in the office every day was the time for administrations like NASA to address their concerns about the obviously ridiculous, destructive, offensive, and utterly unamerican regime so many voted in without a second thought. Now, it hardly serves any purpose - and I can only hope that those within the agency who have or still walk lockstep with our dear leader finally feel the consequences of allying themselves with the administration of a man who really despises scientific thought and inquiry, at least until the moment he's able to turn it into cash.

[pie8ter]

You guys have to remember why NASA is going down the tube. Republicans don't believe in science and technology. Why would they want to empower NASA so it can find "more" evidence for big bang, for existence of life in other galaxies and for supporting ev0luti0n.

In the ancient times, A-r-a-b nations were number one in science and technology. But as hardcore MUSLIM religious fundamentalists, who wanted everyone to live according to K0ran, came to power, those Arab nations lost their science and technology. Now look where they are.

We need to spend money in science and technology or we will go the way of ROME. Remember ROME. They used to be the biggest empire...Where are they now?

[pie8ter]

You guys have to remember why NASA is going down the tube. Republicans don't believe in science and technology. Why would they want to empower NASA so it can find "more" evidence for big bang, for existence of life in other galaxies and for supporting evolution.

In ancient times, Arab nations were number one in science and technology. But as hardcore Muslim religious fundamentalists, who wanted everyone to live according to Koran, came to power, those Arab nations lost their edge. Now look where they are.

We need to spend money in science and technology or we will go the way of ROME. Remember ROME. They used to be the biggest empire...Where are they now?

[MagisterLudi]

Again it's becoming crystal clear how little difference is between ObaCain and McBama supporters. On the surface you blather on and on about hope of change and change of hope. But deep down inside majority of you and your Great Brown Hero are vested in American Imperial hubris.
Obviously the term "international cooperation" scares you witless. Shameful.

[BlackTom]

Maybe you don't understand the excitement of growing up and watching space shots as a child, or an adult. Everyone in this country remembers the Apollo and shuttle flights.

And of course, the Challenger.

The latest Mars landing and the Hubble. These are part of our culture. Everyone comes together to engage in our adventures in space.

It is not "shameful" to mourn their loss.

Especially to nations that we have grown up considering to be our enemies.

[MagisterLudi]

"Everyone comes together to engage in our adventures in space."

engage in "Our" adventures but not "their" adventures?! How sad.

The cold war is over. I guess not for you.
"Earth is the cradle of the humankind , but we cannot forever live in cradle" said Russian space visionary Ziolkovsky.

Note by "we" Ziolkovsky did NOT refer to Russians only.

Funny, I grew up in Ukraine and Germany and remember celebrating Soviet and American space successes. Reading Lem, Strugatskys and Asimov, I gradually began to think of space exploration as "our"-- humankind's successes. Hmm, and you probably consider yourself a progressive. Start acting like one.

[richsmith]

Wooh there. Aren't we supposed to be at "cold war" with the Ruskies since the Bush Admin ginned up those confrontations with them. Didn't we get to the Moon first. What gives here? Has anyone asked Rice or Palin whether this is a good idea?

[Grannysue]

So now what were outsourcing our space program, oh why the hell not! I have an idea, how about we send GWB, Cheney, their entire former and present administration and any politician who loses in November on a big space journey, when they find a planet that can support life, they can return!

[pie8ter]

Why in the world you want them back here?

[MagisterLudi]

YOU call it space outsourcing. The world prefers to call it peaceful international cooperation. It's seems you Demos just like Repubes are obsessed with go-it-alone America narrative.

[Formulaplot3]

Let us see what GOP & Neo-Con "strategerie planning" has given us:

Lost most of the automotive industry.
Lost almost all alternative fuels investment & development.
Lost almost all aerospace - almost awarded $40B to the French thanks to McCain.
Lost most of the electronic manufacturing industry.
Lost most of the airline industry.
Lost Wall Street - that was a Big One!
Lost most of our pension money - terrible, terrible hit.

Got $3.00 - $4.00 Gas.
Got $5.00 - Milk - no extra charge for melamine if imported.
Got $900.00 Airfare to Hawaii from Los Angeles.
Got 4 Million home foreclosures
Got me a 3 bedroom home for $680,000.00 on an Option ARM bomb.
Got millions of bankruptcies.
Got no vacation.
Got Social Security retirement I in extreme old age.
Got no healthcare for 40 million people.
Got high insurance costs.

WOW! Look MA I'm living at the top of the World. Cause we has got some real ejumacated Republican voters that think they are millionaires...

[Formulaplot3]

What is a 5 year milestone slip anyway...
Any aerospace company will tell you...

Well in terms of planning it's just the whole ball of wax!

It amounts to a monumental decline in

....... Reach,
........ Projection of power,
........ Technological cadence- scaleability,
........ Strategic position
........ National Image abroad

and

the faith and vision of providing our children with something other than video games.

I blame this on GOP Strategerie!

[revko]

So we are outsourcing our space progarm to Russia and borrowing money from China for just day to day U.S. operations.

I forget

Who won the Cold War?

[AKJM]

Don't be silly, Saint Raygun won the cold war, ask any republican.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Welcome to the decline of the American Empire.

Russia and eventually China will take over the space station.

They will also along with the EU, India and Japan take control of the global economy.

There are two main reasons we are declining and both are neocon principles.

1. Trickle on economics has been a complete and utter failure.

The fact that Rethuglicans give more tax breaks to the rich and corporations for moving wealth off our shores is a true cause of financial collapse. This countries wealth and prosperity in the past has been based on the growth and sustainably of the middle class' ability to find good jobs and do better than their parents. For the first time in American history children have bleaker financial prospects than their parents. Expanding the middle class has always been predicated on expanding the social safety net from the advent of SocialSecurity to Medicare the times government has intervened in the way of progress we have thrived.

2. Interventionist war and expansion of the military.

We spend a larger percentage of our GDP on the military than any other industrialized nation. The same use to be true with the Soviet Union so we should have learned from our mistakes. We for the first time in history paid for wars with FOREIGN debt. Even during WWII we did not pay for the war with foreign debt. We spend almost as much on our military budget as the rest of the world COMBINED.

cont...

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

So sit back this is going to be a bumpy ride. That fact is that thereis a chance to change direction under an Obama/Biden administration because with investments in affordable health care, alternative energies, infrastructure and education the vast majority of the benefits will go to the middle and working class. If McCain/Palin are elected the decline will be dramatic and complete. It's that simple.

[Nicolaus]

I think it is a great opportunity for the US to help the Georgian delusional president sneak in a few atomic bombs to shower them on Russia...

The failure of the administration's foreign policy is leading the Decider and his Neo-Conservative ilk to humbly seek Russia's aid whether in nuclear limitation or in space, and soon, most likely, in underwriting some of the debts...

The principle that any sane administration pursues, unless it is guided by Kissinger, the maniac who founded the basis for the disastrous US-Israel relations since the 1970s was to consider the appreciate the security concerns of your adversary because that means you appreciate your own...

If you don't, then no nuclear limitation treaty, no space travel, no US business in Russia and no peace in the Caucuses - and a major threat from Iran, Syria who own the

[BushSunkOurShip]

Bin Laden ,, I mean; Bush's destruction to our country has been swift , servere and total...

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Welcome to the rise of Russia and China. Who said we won the cold war?