[FPSPACE] this was expected

[Peter Pesavento]

Courtesy heads-up via colleague Charles Vick

 


Russia's actions in Georgia may jeopardize post-shuttle ISS access, Senator
says.


 
<http://links.mkt751.com/ctt?kn=8&m=2096158&r=MTU4OTU2ODQ3MgS2&b=0&j=OTczMTc
0ODMS1&mt=1&rt=0> Florida Today (8/13, Kim) reports, "U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson
(D) said he fears Russia's aggressive action against Georgia may have some
serious consequences on the American space program," because if "Russia
fails to hold back military action in the former Soviet republic, it could
hurt U.S. chances of accessing the International Space Station (ISS) once
NASA retires the space shuttles." Nelson said that deteriorating relations
could cause Russia to deny NASA access to the Soyuz, which is currently the
only means to send crew and cargo to the ISS other than the shuttle. Also,
"Nelson fears that recent developments between Russia and Georgia may make
it hard for lawmakers to extend the exemption" to the Iran-Syria
Non-Proliferation Act, which NASA has until 2011, and needs to access the
Soyuz. Nelson said, "It was a tough sell before, but it was doable simply
because we didn't have a choice...It's going to be a tougher sell now unless
there are critical developments during the next 48 to 72 hours." 

        In the
<http://links.mkt751.com/ctt?kn=18&m=2096158&r=MTU4OTU2ODQ3MgS2&b=0&j=OTczMT
c0ODMS1&mt=1&rt=0> Orlando Sentinel's (8/12) Write Stuff blog, Robert Block
noted that Nelson stated it was "extremely unlikely" NASA would get the
exemption now. "One senior House Republican staffer said the waiver is 'dead
on arrival. Nobody thinks it's going to happen, and the reality is there is
no back-up plan for the space station.'" Block added that, "[w]ithout the
U.S. payments, it is unclear if other station partners such as Japan or the
European Union would be able or willing to step up and pay for Russian Soyuz
launch and lifeboat services." 

 

 

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