Category Archives: Space Station

HOUSTON Thanks to its reliance on Russia, NASA is once again confronted with the nightmare of a diplomatic roadblock in a project originally made possible by diplomacy: the U.S.-Russian partnership in space exploration.

And if Russia's confrontation with Ukraine and the West turns into the worst diplomatic crisis of our generation, as feared, it could have equally profound and disturbing consequences for space exploration.

This month's comings and goings at the International Space Station highlight the interdependence of the U.S. and Russian space efforts: Next week, NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins is due to return from the space station aboard a Russian capsule, alongside two Russian cosmonauts. A couple of weeks after that, NASA's Steven Swanson is to ride another Russian Soyuz craft up to the station, again in the company of two Russians.

Under the current arrangement, NASA astronauts cannot get to and from the station without Russian help, due to the retirement of the space shuttle fleet. The ticket price for each astronaut is $70 million, payable to the Russians.

The United States and Russia are not just "joined at the hip" on the space station. Numerous other rocket projects rely on either Russian or Ukrainian space hardware and services. Even U.S. national security satellites are powered into orbit on an American rocket with a Russian-built rocket engine.

What if the Soyuz spacecraft suddenly became unavailable for use by American astronauts, contract or no contract? Would it be the end of U.S. human spaceflight? Would it kick off a new round of extortionary price-gouging, both fiscal and diplomatic?

Well, maybe not.

Moving away from co-dependence

Its cold comfort that the Russians rely on NASA almost as much as NASA relies on the Russians. If Russia monopolizes up-down transport, the United States essentially controls the only space destination: Russia's orbital hardware couldn't function without U.S. electrical power and communications services.

However reluctant the partners may be in such an awkward "space marriage," it has until now provided an astonishing degree of robustness and flexibility.

Continued here:
Russia Crisis Raises Space Station Questions

HOUSTON Thanks to its reliance on Russia, NASA is once again confronted with the nightmare of a diplomatic roadblock in a project originally made possible by diplomacy: the U.S.-Russian partnership in space exploration.

And if Russia's confrontation with Ukraine and the West turns into the worst diplomatic crisis of our generation, as feared, it could have equally profound and disturbing consequences for space exploration.

This month's comings and goings at the International Space Station highlight the interdependence of the U.S. and Russian space efforts: Next week, NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins is due to return from the space station aboard a Russian capsule, alongside two Russian cosmonauts. A couple of weeks after that, NASA's Steven Swanson is to ride another Russian Soyuz craft up to the station, again in the company of two Russians.

Under the current arrangement, NASA astronauts cannot get to and from the station without Russian help, due to the retirement of the space shuttle fleet. The ticket price for each astronaut is $70 million, payable to the Russians.

The United States and Russia are not just "joined at the hip" on the space station. Numerous other rocket projects rely on either Russian or Ukrainian space hardware and services. Even U.S. national security satellites are powered into orbit on an American rocket with a Russian-built rocket engine.

What if the Soyuz spacecraft suddenly became unavailable for use by American astronauts, contract or no contract? Would it be the end of U.S. human spaceflight? Would it kick off a new round of extortionary price-gouging, both fiscal and diplomatic?

Well, maybe not.

Moving away from co-dependence

Its cold comfort that the Russians rely on NASA almost as much as NASA relies on the Russians. If Russia monopolizes up-down transport, the United States essentially controls the only space destination: Russia's orbital hardware couldn't function without U.S. electrical power and communications services.

However reluctant the partners may be in such an awkward "space marriage," it has until now provided an astonishing degree of robustness and flexibility.

See the original post here:
Russia Crisis Raises Space Station Questions, But NASA Has Options

Space Station Live: Environmental Control and Life Support System
Robyn Carrasquillo, the Space Station Technology Demonstrations manager from NASA Headquarters, discusses the Environment Control and Life Support System (EC...

By: ReelNASA

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Space Station Live: Environmental Control and Life Support System - Video

Kerbal Career Part 13 (Attempting to crash the space station)
Lets play Kerbal career mode, today we attempt crash the station into the planet. Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mulreay Check me out here: http:/...

By: G Mulreay

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Kerbal Career Part 13 (Attempting to crash the space station) - Video

Let #39;s Play Space Engineers - Episode 91: Space Station Project Part 20
On this episode of Space Engineers, we continue the Space Station Project. Today we make a small drilling ship, or blasting ship actually. Then we use that t...

By: Sleepless Knights Studios

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Let's Play Space Engineers - Episode 91: Space Station Project Part 20 - Video

KSP - Space Station Deorbit
In this video I show you how I deorbit my Space Station. I #39;m already working on a new project, so subscribe. Other videos, KSP - Space Station #1 :http://www...

By: Sandman5NL

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KSP - Space Station Deorbit - Video

Space Station Live: Measuring Body Changes During Spaceflight
NASA Public Affairs Officer Brandi Dean talks with Dr. Rajulu, principal investigator for the Body Measures experiment taking place aboard the International ...

By: ReelNASA

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Space Station Live: Measuring Body Changes During Spaceflight - Video

Spacewalk to repair space station delayed News
Astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Mike Hopkins made their first spacewalk to attempt to fix a cooling system on the International Space Station. A problem with...

By: Latest News 2014

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Spacewalk to repair space station delayed News - Video

Intl Space Station Feb 27 2014
This is my second attempt to video the International Space Station going over. Sorry about the moving around and focusing. Clearly, an important part of bein...

By: Liz Bradley

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Intl Space Station Feb 27 2014 - Video

Dead Space 2 walkthrough/gameplay with commentary chapter 1
Dead Space 2 walkthrough/gameplay with commentary chapter 1 Dead Space 2 is a third-person shooter survival horror video game developed by Visceral Games and...

By: RunnerGunner2020

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Dead Space 2 walkthrough/gameplay with commentary chapter 1 - Video