Russia signs a $306 million deal with NASA to ferry astronauts to space station in 2012

[bemildred]

Source: AP

MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian space agency says it has signed a $306 million deal with NASA to ferry its astronauts to the international space station in 2012.

Roscosmos said Friday the agreement covers four launches aboard the three-person Soyuz capsules to swap out crews in the orbiting laboratory.

NASA said Russia would supply comprehensive support for six NASA crew members taking part in long-duration missions.

The pact extends Russia's existing contract with NASA for transporting station crew, but seems to represent an increase in Russia's transport charges.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-eu-russia-us-space,1,2543721.story

[BeFree]

1. ???

Now we are outsourcing our space transportation? Even the government is outsourcing jobs?

Thanks, Bush. Wasn't he the one who said we were going to Mars? WTF?

[bemildred]

2. Read the one about how we forgot how to make our own nukes. nt

[BeFree]

3. Hmmm

Ya know, maybe we could just hire the Russians to fight our wars? Gotta be cheaper that way. And Japanese need some work.

Good thing Germany is doing ok, or they might feel they had to bomb Pearl Harbor again.

[ramapo]

4. What an embarrassment

First we put much of the technology that took us to the moon through the proverbial shredder.

Now we lack the capability to even put a crew into space.

And we purport to be a world leader.

[Baclava]

10. It costs $450 million per shuttle launch - we got a deal

Q. How much does it cost to launch a Space Shuttle?

A. The average cost to launch a Space Shuttle is about $450 million per mission.

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/...le_faq.html#10

[Infinite Hope]

15. Amen. And they're going there anyway...so why not carpool??? Com'on folks. n/t

[joshcryer]

16. One Shuttle can launch 7 people. It's a wash more or less.

Soyuz costs around $50 million to launch, the US is basically paying for the other two passengers.

[liberal N proud]

5. Nothing is sacred to outsourcing

NOTHING!

:cry:

[Romulox]

6. What a waste of money. nt

[Purveyor]

7. So it is that 'old Soviet junk' to the rescue again, eh? eom

:sarcasm:

[MilesColtrane]

8. This is the way empires crumble.

[Baclava]

11. The Russians do land their returning capsule astronauts on the ground instead of the sea.

That will be a new experience.

?

[Baclava]

9. Russia to charge NASA $51 million per space flight

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia will charge U.S. astronauts $51 million per return trip to the International Space Station (ISS) from 2012 and will resume selling seats to space tourists, Russian news agencies reported on Wednesday.

NASA needs to use the Russian Soyuz capsule because its own Space Shuttle will be retired next year after nearly 3 decades in service and a replacement is not due until 2014 at the earliest.

Russia's own plans for a new spacecraft are running behind schedule, with the planned unveiling of a mock-up now delayed by a year to 2010, Interfax quoted Anatoly Perminov head of Russian space agency Roskosmos as saying.

"We've agreed with our American partners the sum of $51m, starting in 2012," Perminov was quoted as saying by Itar-Tass news agency.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090513/sc_nm/us_space_russia_usa


We are taking the greyhound bus to the stars.

[ConcernedCanuk]

12. Russians are laughing themselves silly at the so-called "superpower"

.
.
.

USA space travel relying on the Russians,

USA bogged down in Afghanistan

Putin knows what killed the Soviet Union

Financial troubles and a losing war in Afghanistan

OH

USA now in financial trouble and battling Afghanistan

hmmm

[joshcryer]

17. What? The US mostly built the ISS. Russia is glad that they're a part of it.

If you watched the STS 19J mission briefings you'd know just how humble they all are that we've finally got the dang thing built. Russia could not have built the ISS.

[Baclava]

13. The downside to all this cooperation is that Russian girls are getting jaded.

You have to go to the country to find a good Russian bride these days.

[Vidar]

14. Let's outsource the military to the Russians next.