True, but how long will ISS be viable without substantial US participation. If we have to pay Russians to do that which we intended to do then the program will crumble. There has been an incredible anount of friction between the USA and Russia during the execution of this project. I just can't see a way out of this box which would be palatable to NASA and Congress. Of course, I might be biased. I remember when the Space Exploration Program lost out to ISS by one vote, in 1992 I think. I was employed by the Space Exploration Office and decried the circular reasoning that allowed the justification of ISS and shuttle.
I truly don't know.
I remember when the Space Exploration Program lost out to ISS by one vote, in 1992 I think. I was employed by the Space Exploration Office and decried the circular reasoning that allowed the justification of ISS and shuttle.
You were closer to this than I was. I was working interplanetary missions at that time. I did not move to the space station program until much later.