US should tread lightly. Putin controls US human space flight

I just read last week that Russia has already increased the ticket price for carrying American Astronauts to the ISS, and almost tripled the price to $71Million USD per person.

America gets to play victim again due to their own arrogance and stupidity.

Of course, they'll spin it to make it look like it's those evil Russkies, in an effort to push along the coming cold war the military industrial boys and Wall Street have been pushing for for some time now!

Its not like the US does not the capabilities for man spaced flight it is just cheaper to use the Russians while the next generation is developed for long rage space flight.

Originally posted by MrSpad
Its not like the US does not the capabilities for man spaced flight it is just cheaper to use the Russians while the next generation is developed for long rage space flight.

Okay, if America had to get a man into orbit for something of importance...please tell me, within reasonable time, which craft that man would ride on from American inventories and how he'd go about getting back again without ever using Non-American systems or other nation's support?

I'm not aware of ANY U.S. capability for manned return to orbital space, let alone beyond it. There USED to be a program to replace the shuttles ...but cutting it like a bad habit was one of the first things to fall in the 'new budget reality' which came along with this President.

So please...do...explain those capabilities. It's news to me they exist outside of the museums where Space Shuttles sit now, in various stages of dis-assembly.

(and I do mean real, proven and known capability .... We can speculate about star ships, warp drives and generational voyages till dooms day..and many do...while it's all theory and fuzz for us sitting here, still unable to regain orbital level without Russian help.)

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


I'm not saying don't blame Congress, because they do set the budget. But it's as much our fault as it is theirs. If NASA had the public support they need to do the missions we want to see them do, it would be much harder to slash the budget to the pathetic amount that it is now. But we sit on our butts and complain when things go wrong, about how much money was "wasted" and why we're "wasting our time in space anyway". If there is no interest in going into space, why should Congress spend the money on it?

reply to post by Zaphod58


Okay, I see what you've been saying here and I don't know why but it kept seeming like you were blaming the public to the exclusion of Government when, alright, I'll honestly say it is a shared issue. At least in one way. I'll back up a bit and say shared blame works.

I'll agree it works in that a strong showing of support and enthusiasm by the public would generate the energy and drive needed to reverse the issue. Without it, it's easy to red line almost everything NASA does that isn't directly essential to the national interest (and I seem to recall reading something about cuts on Weather satellite replacements too...so not sure if it hasn't cut there as well).

At the same time. I guess I just find it really sad and yes, quite pathetic that matters of not only national interest but human survival as a species must rely on Boobus Americanus not only grasping the issues but then being excited about doing something.

Congress ought to care because life will go on when the old farts up there now are dead. They know, generally, they don't have long left and whatever they do now won't be something they live, by natural years and causes, to see or suffer anyway. They ought to care because others come after them and personally? I'd rather not be killed by a radiation blast from deep space we never saw coming ....or an asteroid that we should have seen months in advance but only catch a glimpse of weeks to impact and 0 anyone can do to stop it.