US-Russia Quarrel Won’t Delay Tuesday Space Station Launch

But with all the back-and-forth sanctioning, at some point it’s virtually certain that the Russians will at least float the notion of cutting off American astronauts from flying on the Soyuz. This would cut off American access not only to the ISS, but to space as a whole.

You know what? Good.

We are entirely too dependent upon others for our space access. Having the Russians shut us down would for the US to turn to ourselves for space access. We’re almost there as it is… the SpaceX Dragon has made it to the station and back several times unmanned; it shouldn’t be long before it can make it there manned (perhaps December 2015). There’s the Boeing CST-100 capsule, which has undergone some considerable design work and pre-prototype testing. There’s the Orion “Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle” capsule being built by NASA & LockMart, and appropriate for a government effort, is not due out for years (manned flight in 2021, maybe). There’s the Sierra Nevada “Dream Chaser” lifting body spaceplane, an aerodynamic test vehicle of which has been drop-tested; an orbital flight may occur in November 2016.

Within a few years, the US should be able to fly our own astronauts into space again without having to hitch a ride with someone else. But what if by the time we do so, the Russians have changed the locks on the doors of the ISS?

Well… good.

The ISS is a serious disappointment. The crew is too small to do a whole lot more than maintenance; they’re certainly not building Mars-bound spacecraft at the ISS. There’s no rotating section for artificial gravity, something any self respecting space station should have. And it’s freakin’ expensive. Imagine what NASA could achieve *IF* it didn’t have to pay for ISS operations, but kept the same budget *and* had good leadership (fat chance, I know). NASA would do well to wash its hands of the ISS and devote its attention to, say, a partnership with Bigelow to finally get his “space hotel” built. Rather than building its own space station, NASA could simply rent or lease a few modules on the space hotel.

So, Russia, do us a favor. Cut us off.