Posted on 09/22/2005 8:56:22 AM PDT by Dan Evans
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate approved Sept. 21 a bill that would clear the way for NASA to buy the Russian Soyuz vehicles it needs to continue to occupy the International Space Station beyond this year.
The bill was introduced Sept. 15 by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) to provide temporary relief from provisions in the Iran Nonproliferation Act of 2000 that bar U.S. purchases of Russian human spaceflight hardware as long as Russia continues to help Iran in its pursuit of nuclear know-how and advanced weapons technology.
Lugar’s bill, S. 1713, changes the law to permit NASA to buy any Russian space hardware or services it needs for the International Space Station program until 2012.
The bill was approved the morning of Sept. 21 by unanimous consent, a Senate procedure that allows non-controversial legislation to bypass a floor vote.
The U.S. House of Representatives also is considering amending the Iran Nonproliferation Act to permit NASA to buy Soyuz vehicles, but it has yet to take any legislative action.
The House could either pick up and pass the Senate’s bill or introduce a bill of its own that would have to be reconciled with the Senate version before becoming law.
Without relief from the Iran act, NASA could soon find itself unable to send its astronauts to the space station for extended stays. A Soyuz capsule set to carry a new two-person crew – and one space tourist – to the station Sept. 30 is the last one Russia is obligated to provide at no charge to the United States under a bilateral agreement.
NASA and the U.S. State Department formally asked Congress in June to amend the Iran act to permit the United States to make use of Russian space technology in its space exploration plans.
You'll get a kick out of this one.
Right, Ivan. I believe you.
"Soon we'll be outsourcing the government?"
Hopefully. And then we can cancel the contract! :)
Right, Ivan. I believe you.==
I'm sorry if I sound too harsh.
I just try to emphisize difference between weapon prolifiration and civilian nuclier cooperation.
Some people wnat that there won't be no neither first nor second. SO they delibarately confuse others by mixing first and second together.
I agree that first is forbidden and unlawful but second is allowed under surveilance and then lawful.
Yes, ladies and gents, we are still a "super-power", sure we are. We can't even run our own national space shuttles and almost couldn't bring one back.
I agree with you on the first part but on the second, they've had 5 military exercises with us this year and next year we are having a military exercise with them outside of Moscow. We, by the way, also have military liasons with China and are trying to sinch a port deal in Saigon...er Hochiman City.
"Voyage" or "Titan"
http://www.cix.co.uk/~sjbradshaw/baxterium/bax_biblio.html
But we still make really, really cool space movies.
Worst case is they'll move overseas and work for the Russians. Already know of some US IT engineers/developers moving to China and India and Russia to work there. It's called brain drain. We did it to Europe for 50 years, now we're doing it to ourselves.
Couldn't be fast enough. If we outsource our Government, we could cut the budget in 1/2.
True, Russia has sold them a blue water navy (still two decades behind ours) while rearming itself, S.Korea, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Khazakstan for a ground war with China and offerring subs to Taiwan. Further, they had exercises with us, Britian, Japan and S.Korea near the Yellow Sea last year. They have no choice but to play nice with the 1,000 lb dragon while the bear and every other critter in the neighborhood sharpens its claws.
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