Russia cuts off Space Station

[Navy1960]

Thanks a lot Obama for dumping the shuttle. Just how many BLUNDERS can one President make and still stay in office?

Actually the Shuttle was retired as a result of a plan put in place by the Bush Administration because it was well past its life span, that plan included creating a follow-on to the Shuttle called Constellation, with the Ares Rocket and Orion Capsule. The Obama Administration extended its life span by another year then retired it and cancelled the Constellation program after one test flight of the Ares I Rocket and put into place plan where private companies would compete for manned flights and US launches. The problem with that is , it led to companies like ULA with the support of this Administration and the Air Force buying Russian made rocket engines. My problem with this Administration is they lack any vision or any sense of national pride when it comes to a domestic Space Program . They have allowed NASA to sit on their backsides and rent rides from Russia and buy rocket engines from Russia for national security space flights when we as a nation are fully capable of doing that ourselves, because its the operating on the cheap thinking. On the plus side though companies like Space X, Sierra Nevada, and others using all American built systems are making large strides in commercial space. The only problem they have is our Govt. can't seem to get past this operating on the cheap thinking and often times pick large contractors who outsource space needs over domestic ones. The irony in all this is, that while we are telling the world how terrible Russia is for their movements into Ukraine, we are at the same time buying rocket engines from the very same company we put sanctions on and our Justice Dept. is going to court to defend that.

 

[candycorn]

Russia is to deny the US future use of the International Space Station beyond 2020 and will also bar its rocket engines from launching US military satellites as it hits back at American sanctions imposed over Ukraine crisis.
Russia’s deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin announced a series of punitive measures on Tuesday against the US in response to sanctions imposed after Russia annexed Crimea

Russia to ban US from using Space Station over Ukraine sanctions - Telegraph

Forgive me if this is a duplicate post , having said this, several things come to mind here. The first thing is it just brings into an even brighter light how far we as a nation have let our domestic space program fall. Even to the point where the Air Force has to buy rocket engines made in Russia and the Obama Administration has to mount a campaign to keep them going and at the same time tout sanctions against Russia. The ISS was about 90 percent constructed and funded by the American taxpayers, and on a personal level even though this might seem like a bad thing, it might finally provide a much needed kick in the backsides of those who need it here badly that there are some things you just dont outsource.

First line of your souce:

Russia is to deny the US future use of the International Space Station beyond 2020

Over 5 years away if that.

Sheesh. I wish they had left that line out. You see, I really think we should do it on our own, and rent to other nations that want in on it.

Me too; with you 100%.

I do wish that stuff that is put on the board that is obviously false such as the title " Russia cuts off Space Station" results in sanctions for those who write it.

 

[candycorn]

As I recall, the ESA and Japan are both able to reach space. And, oh yeah, we can be ready in less than 18 months ourselves.

Non story.

 

[Katzndogz]

What if. We can. Maybe.

Nothing is going to happen as long as we redistribute the nation's wealth to crack heads and raise up generations of drug addicts.

 

[Harry Dresden]

What if. We can. Maybe.

Nothing is going to happen as long as we redistribute the nation's wealth to crack heads and raise up generations of drug addicts.

a little paranoid are we?.....

 

[jon_berzerk]

This is a bit off target. The majority of the ISS is made up of American hardware. So, it would be kinda difficult for them to keep us out of our own stuff. Here's what it's all about - they're not going to let our astronauts hitch rides on THEIR ROCKETS!


No More Hitch Hiking of US Astronauts to the Space Station

Seems Russia's in a tiff over the US stand on Crimea and Ukraine. Although NASA touted that it would not affect the current agreement, that appears to be showing cracks. Read more @ As capsule returns to Earth, Russia casts doubt on ISS collaboration | News | DW.DE | 14.05.2014

it was bad policy getting dependent on the Russians for anything

 

[Navy1960]

First line of your souce:



Over 5 years away if that.

Sheesh. I wish they had left that line out. You see, I really think we should do it on our own, and rent to other nations that want in on it.

Me too; with you 100%.

I do wish that stuff that is put on the board that is obviously false such as the title " Russia cuts off Space Station" results in sanctions for those who write it.

Nothing in this thread I have posted including the title of the thread is false and has been completely backed up.

cut·off noun \ˈkət-ˌȯf\
: the act of stopping the movement or supply of something

: the time when something must be done or completed

Stopping the movement of Americans to the ISS by Russian Rockets and the supply of the RD-180 engines is completely consistent with the definition.


As for your contention that we can simply ramp up in 18 months or move to Japan for manned space flight. Here are a few things you should know, one both the ESA and Japan have never flown a single manned flight ever and our nation has lift capability already for non-manned flights at least for the next two years and beyond.

There is a robust plan in place right now to put Americans in space from American soil by 2017 and that plan is actually on schedule and on budget and a number of companies are doing quite well with it. Your contention we could ramp up this program is actually a good one, however, that would take a concentrated effort and funding on the part of Congress and the Administration who have shown little of any interest in a US Space program for some time now.