America being kicked out of ISS?

[radarredux]

(1) The shuttle will not fly again until March 2006 at the earliest.<br /><br />(2) The current agreement with Russia to fly Americans to the ISS ends about the same time. For the April 2006 Soyuz launch "<i>two seats in the Soyuz would be given to Russian cosmonauts and one would go to either a space tourist, a European Space Agency astronaut or any other candidate who can pay for the flight.</i>" (Space Daily article).<br /><br />(3) With Iran starting nuclear enrichment again, and some evidence that Iran is arming insurgents in Iraq, weakening ITAR/INA to allow NASA to buy Russia services may be politically difficult.<br /><br />So what happens if the Shuttle isn't ready to fly by March and Congress doesn't approve NASA buying launch and lifeboat services from Russia?<br /><br />The March/April 2006 timeframe may be very interesting.

 

[askold]

If the shuttle does not complete the ISS beyond what we have now, what's the point of anybody going up other than tourists?

 

[shuttle_rtf]

I'll check, but the Russian Space guy we have on our site noted confidence that something will be worked out - given it's to the benifits of all parties.

 

[shuttle_rtf]

Actually, Radar, hope you don't mind, but I copied that post over to our forum for the Russian to answer - I'll copy back the reply.

 

[radarredux]

> <i><font color="yellow">noted confidence that something will be worked out - given it's to the benifits of all parties.</font>/i><br /><br />Technically and rationaly I believe it makes sense to "buy" a Soyuz and move on, but in politics reason is often missing. And I think two months ago, with support of the White House, the plan would sail through Congress moderately easily although quietly.<br /><br />I just believe the two recent factors with Iran (providing powerful shaped charges to insurgents in Iraq and restarting nuclear enrichment) have immensely complicated the issue.</i>

 

[contracommando]

Outside of being a lifeboat for the space shuttle, the ISS is a huge waste. Very little science has ever come from it and the funds devoted to it would be better spent on more Mars missions and other endeavors such as new types of telescopes for detecting other worlds. Also, it’s really a myth that the ISS is going to be used as a stepping stone to Mars or the Moon. NASA simply lacks the funding necessary to undertake these efforts (…but if their budget were doubled or tripled). The ISS’s real purpose is a politically correct attempt to foster good international relations between America and other countries. If you look around the world and observe, then you must come to the conclusion that it’s not working. The enormous sums of money being spent (and already spent) on the ISS are needed elsewhere until NASA’s budget is either increased or until our technology increases. <br />

 

[gofer]

Great... so not only we are going to be suckered further into the whole pointless pretence of "maintaining presense on ISS" and continuing to spend gobs of money on it, but we'll subsidize another nation's space program a second timer. Good deal! This is funny and tragic at the same time.

 

[shuttle_rtf]

Don't know if this helps, but the response from the Russian Space guy on our forum replied back with:<br /><br />(Quoting this part of the question) "So what happens if the Shuttle isn't ready to fly by March and Congress doesn't approve NASA buying launch and lifeboat services from Russia?"<br /><br /><br />Replied with " I don't know, but I think that then... <br /><br />1) ...aboard Soyuz TMA-8 on March 22, 2006 will be launched Kondratyev, Vinogradov and, maybe, fourth space tourist from Japan; <br /><br />2) ...aboard Soyuz TMA-7 on April 1, 2006 will be landed Tokarev, McArthur and space tourist; <br /><br />3) ...after April 1, 2006 aboard ISS will be... two Russian cosmonauts - Vinogradov and Kondratyev!"

 

[lunatio_gordin]

maybe, fourth space tourist from Japan; <br />By that you mean the fourth tourist, not a fourth passenger, right?

 

[shuttle_rtf]

Don't ask me - I didn't say it <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />