[FPSPACE] Bush Administration nixed NASA proposed cooperation deal with PRC

[Peter Pesavento]

>From Aviationnow

 

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Bush Administration Nixed NASA's U.S.-China Cooperation Idea

 

Dec 21, 2008

 



By Craig Covault 

 


NASA tried and failed to obtain Bush administration approval of an overture
to China for a cooperative U.S.-China space mission, NASA Administrator
Michael Griffin tells Aviation Week & Space Technology.

The White House believes that a higher level of cooperation is too great a
reward to China for its human rights and arms-trafficking violations of
international law.

But the new Obama administration may resurrect the idea. The transition team
of President-elect Barack Obama asked the agency for a detailed breakdown of
its contacts with China and overall Asia-Pacific-region cooperative concepts
in general.

The mission concept suggested by NASA was largely devoted to space science,
but also involved flight operations on the space shuttle and International
Space Station (ISS). It would not have involved the launch of a Chinese
astronaut, however.

The concept included the large Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) that was
flown on a shuttle mission 10 years ago as a solo payload and is likely to
be launched for installation to the ISS on what could be the space shuttle's
final mission in late 2010 or early 2011.

NASA's proposal was to allow the cooperation of Chinese scientists in the
mission - since the original AMS carries nearly 1,900 kg. (4,188 lb.) of
specialized magnets made in China by Chinese aerospace companies. "We ran
that up the flagpole to the administration," Griffin says. The modernized
version of the AMS for long-term ISS installation may not carry nearly as
much Chinese-built hardware as the original design, though.

Sun Laiyan, who heads the China National Space Administration, also
confirmed to Aviation Week & Space Technology last spring that some form of
cooperation on the AMS had been discussed within Chinese government circles,
too, in order to decide what to do if NASA raised it to the Chinese. Sun
laughed and said it appeared his government's side had as much problem with
the idea as did the U.S. government.

Kennedy Space Center managers are working up preliminary checkout flow
documents for preparation of the AMS once it arrives from Europe for
integration into the shuttle that will carry it to the ISS.

The AMS will be a powerful scientific tool for the study of mysterious and
seemingly invisible cold dark matter that makes up the bulk of mass in the
universe.

The U.S.-China cooperation could have been on multilateral, as opposed to
bilateral, terms, says Mike O'Brien, who heads NASA's international affairs.

If the Obama administration approves some form of cooperation with China
involving the AMS, then the final Kennedy Space Center launch of the shuttle
would be a major international event in its own right - involving Chinese
guests and possibly Chinese astronauts given access to journalists and other
observers during the launch and landing.


 

 

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