Could the Russia-Georgia conflict jeopardize U.S. space plans?

[Purveyor]

Here's a scenario that might be going through the minds of NASA astronaut Greg Chamitoff and his two fellow Russian crew members on the International Space Station (ISS).

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 Orion—an Apollo-like craft being developed as part of the Constellation program—to be ready to fly until 2015. NASA's plan was for the interim was to use Russian Soyuz craft (left) to send up crew and cargo to the $100 billion station.

U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (D.-Fl.) sounded the alarm on Tuesday that Russia's encroachment on contested Georgian territories jeopardizes that plan, which depends on Congress renewing a waiver to a 2000 law that prohibits American contracts with countries that have helped Iran or North Korea with their nuclear programs.

"In an election year, it was going to be very difficult to get that waiver to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to an increasingly aggressive Russia, where the prime minister is acting more and more like a czar," Nelson told the Washington Post. "Now, I'd say it's almost impossible."

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Even if the waiver passes again, Nelson told Florida Today there's still the concern that with no competing service to space, Russia may end up "denying us rides or charging exorbitant amounts for them."

Then factor in the spotty performance record of the single-use Soyuz: it came down too steeply and landed well off target in an April return flight from the ISS carrying U.S. astronaut Peggy Whitson. NASA is working with Russian engineers to identify the cause of the problem and correct it.

So what's the backup plan? That's the problem, experts said: There isn't one. Getting Orion ready faster isn't in the cards. NASA this week confirmed a report leaked last month when it announced that flat budgets and technical problems would delay testing of Orion until late 2014.

MORE...

Scientific American: http://www.sciam.com/blog/60-second-science/post.cfm?id=could-the-russia-georgia-conflict-j-2008-08-15

[thunder rising]

1. (DINO) U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (D.-Fl.) (aka Bush ass kisser #2 behind Lieberman)

Who'da thunk? I wonder if all the outsourced F22 parts could cause a problem? Inquiring minds need to know!

[bushmeister0]

2. Yes, I would say we've got a big problem.

Time for W. to pick up the phone and call his alien overlords for a hand.

Here's a letter I wrote to Bill Nelson back in July of 2002: (The pilot I mention is Navy Capt. Michael Scott Spiker)

"To senator Bill Nelson of Florida:
Wed, 31 Jul 2002

Dear Senator Nelson,

I heard you today at the Committee hearings saying you were proud some high-tech equipment, that might be used in Iraq, was being made in Melbourne. You also brought up the red herring of the pilot who was shot down in 1991. This, from what I heard, was the only input you had for this very serious issue of invading Iraq.

I hope your interest in a full scale war in Iraq goes beyond helping a company in Florida. Sir, I voted for you, before I moved out of Florida. I'm not very impressed with your grasp of international relations so far. I would be more interested in what you think this war would mean for the entire middle east region. The fact that Iraq might become another Afghanistan, after Saddam is gone, with various religious groups and factions fighting it out in a disintegrated country, with Turkey possibly land-grabbing from the north and Jordan being destabilized from the spillover in the south, would tend, I hope, to keep a person in your position up at nights.

I really hope all of you give this issue some deep thought before you pull out the rubber stamp. The American people might generally support getting rid of Saddam, but I doubt they've given any thought to the possible long term consequences of this. George W. will be long out of office before this whole mess will have shaken itself out.

As far as this issue of the pilot goes, by the way, if he is still alive, why after 11 years hasn't anyone heard anything about him being alive? Is our intelligence so bad? I should think an American pilot would be a little difficult to hide for over a decade. If the Iraqis wanted to use him for some political gain they would have done so in some past bombing campaign over the past 11 years. I doubt Saddam is dumb enough to think one pilot would hold back an entire invasion. The whole idea is absurd.

The people who keep hammering away at this issue tend to have some other motive in mind and I think it's disgusting that they would torture the flyer's family with this constant "is he, isn't he" question. The Pentagon determined he was killed in action long ago. Under political pressure from some rogue political appointees, this has become an issue again. I would urge you to focus on what this war will mean for all Americans and our country as a whole. This is your constitutional duty, to declare war. I hope you make the right decision. Thank you for your time Senator."

http://bushmeister0.tripod.com/letters1.htm

More info on Nelson's obsession with the Spiker case:

http://billnelson.senate.gov/newpages/pilot.cfm

More on Scott Spiker:

http://imnotworthy.blogspot.com/2005/05/no-one-left-behind.html