NASA Over A Russian Barrel

Pajamas Media ^ | February 27th, 2011 | Rand Simberg

[NonZeroSum]

After decades of short-sighted parochialism, our space policy chickens are finally coming home to roost.

This past Friday, Russian news agencies quoted a Russian Space Agency official as refusing to let “unsafe” vehicles dock to the International Space Station (ISS).

Sounds reasonable, right?

But it’s not what it seems. In reality, it is a bare-knuckled attempt to prevent competition from an upstart American company.

[NonZeroSum]

There's more on this topic at the Washington Examiner.

[AU72]

Conceding the Final Frontier to others.

[Arm_Bears]

Further evidence, as if any more were needed, that the US federal government makes a hash out of everything it touches.

[newheart]

We may be shipping money to Russia that could go to private American companies, and allowing them to continue to aid our enemies, for years to come.

[Brett66]

NASA is about to have the most cost effective solution to get cargo and humans to the ISS that they could dream of only to get hoisted on their own "international cooperation" petard.

They could be bold (they won't do this) and simply purchase a few Bigelow modules using The Falcon to deliver them to orbit and then tell the Ruskies to ESAD.

[Rockitz]

I’m guessing there’s still docking hardware lying around that could be fit checked with the Space-X hardware. Then it would be a simple matter of proving out their GNC system for docking. We fly billion dollar payloads all the time with a lot less verification than that.

[Mr. Peabody]

This is actually some Clinton Corruption coming home to roost.