Russia, Georgia and the Space Station

An Editorial From The New York Times:

Unless the Senate acts soon, the United States could lose its access to the International Space Station. The country is in a bind because NASA plans to retire the aging space shuttle fleet two years from now. Without a Congressional waiver, the agency will be barred from buying seats on Russia’s space vehicles.

Many members of Congress are understandably furious over Russia’s invasion of Georgia. Unless they approve a waiver, the United States will have to remove its crew from the space station in 2011 — leaving a very expensive investment essentially to the Russians.

The shuttles’ successor vehicle, the Orion, won’t be ready before 2015. That leaves a five-year gap where the only way to reach the station is via Russia’s Soyuz vehicles. The capsules carry Russian cosmonauts and ferried American astronauts after the Columbia accident.

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