[FPSPACE] Re: Msnbc.com (Oberg): Russia ready to take lead on space station

[John Charles]

Some might argue that, with a new Administrator and a firm vision, NASA's "endless paper studies" are finally and rapidly leading to a new generation of crewed space access.  
Some might also observe that Russia's "broad development program" looks like yet another unfunded effort fishing for external support with only partial mockups and glossy brochures.
Time will tell, of course.  Maybe in a decade we will see several next-generation vehicles carrying humans to ISS and other LEO destinations, to the Moon and elsewhere.  Or maybe we won't.
John Charles
Houston, Texas
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Jim Oberg 
  To: fpspace at friends-partners.org 
  Sent: Friday, June 10, 2005 4:02 PM
  Subject: Msnbc.com (Oberg): Russia ready to take lead on space station


      Buoyed by improved economic conditions and bold new management and armed with mature designs for a new generation of space vehicles while NASA is mired in endless paper studies, the Russians are pushing a broad development program for the hardware that could replace the services now provided by the U.S. space shuttle.