Source: NASA seeks seat on April Soyuz mission to ISS - SpaceNews NASA announced Feb. 9 it wants to obtain a seat on the next Soyuz mission to the International Space Station, launching in just two months, to ensure a U.S. presence on the station in the event of any commercial crew delays. In a procurement synopsis posted late Feb. 9, NASA said it wanted the seat on the next Soyuz mission as it “minimizes risks associated with any interruption in U.S. crew member presence on ISS” that might be caused by problems with commercial crew vehicles. . . . One or more NASA executives need to explain this to a Congressional committee. The article provides no justification that I understand. Bob Wilson
Government efficiency 101. I think that NASA's budget needs to be reduced, and only increased when they can more efficiently carry out their prime job, as described in their freekin NAME.........ADMINISTRATION. We have one and a half private companies that are certified to send squishy cargo into LEO inside a pressurized can, and we have crew aboard the ISS that was thusly delivered. Meanwhile....the first word in ISS is "International." so leaving the Rooskies aboard to me is preferable to giving Russia hard currency in order to thumb a ride into orbit. I think that rather than paying putin for more Новичо́к (novichok) doses, we ought to incentivize Musk or, heck, even Calhoun to relieve Meir and Morgan with 'merican iron. As much as the US has been criticized tor profligate spending in the Space Race, at least it USED to be mostly spent in the US.....
