U.S. Approves Funding for Soyuz

Photo source: ESA permanent mission in Russia

Source: "Spending Bill Would Resolve a Pressing NASA Concern," JOHN SCHWARTZ, The New York Times, September 25, 2008.

A continuing resolution passed by the Congress on Wednesday will allow NASA "to buy seats on Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft until 2016. Without it, NASA would have been unable to buy passage aboard the Soyuz after the current Congressional permission to do so expires in 2011."

The Soyuz seats are critical to the space program because NASA plans to wind down the space shuttle program in 2010. The next generation of spacecraft will not be ready until 2015, at the earliest, under current plans. In order to continue reaching the International Space Station during the gap between the end of the old program and the beginning of the new, NASA plans to fly with the Russian space program.

A 2000 law — the Iran, North Korea and Syria Nonproliferation Act — prohibits the government from making payments to Russia related to the International Space Station because of Russia’s sale of nuclear materials to Iran. Congress had passed a waiver to the law that allowed NASA to purchase Soyuz seats, but that waiver will expire in 2011. Since Soyuz spacecraft take a full three years to build, NASA needed quick action on a new waiver or risk losing access to the station three years from now when the old waiver expires.

Comment: At least this one crisis has been postponed to be handled later by a new administration. Congratulations to the Congress! JAD