The "Cold War" Has Reached Outer Space

The worsening level of confrontation between Russia and the West over the “five day war” and Moscow’s recognition of Georgia’s break-away regions, may affect not only “Bush’s Legs,”* but Russo-American cooperation in outer space.

Three Republican senators, including the presidential candidate John McCain, wrote George W. Bush a letter asking him to prolong the flight of space shuttles so as not to depend on Russian Soyuz aircraft when trying to reach the International Space Station (ISS). They asked Bush to interfere in NASA’s decision to end the shuttle flights after 2010. The senators believe that the decision must be made no later than one year from now, and that Bush should order the American space agency to do the right thing.

At the present time, Roskosmos [the Russian space agency] and NASA are holding talks in Houston regarding the use of Russian spaceships for sending American astronauts into space. The issue is that NASA has made a decision to cease using its space shuttles because of their age. Presently the agency is working on the spaceship Orion, which can fit six astronauts for flights to the ISS. An $8 billion contract has been signed with Lockheed Martin to build the spaceship. Orion won’t be completed until 2014, and there aren’t any other usable spaceships besides the Russian Soyuz. According to a previously agreed to arrangement, Americans will use Soyuz until 2011. The talks in Houston may even extend the bi-national cooperation until 2013.

Alas, there is a problem. Both sides agreed not to produce more nuclear weapons until Russia stops helping Iran (whom the U.S. considers a sponsor of terrorism) to advance their nuclear program; and until that time the U.S. won’t aid Russia in the nuclear field by buying neither products nor services that are connected to sending people into space. In 2005, Congress removed this impediment from NASA, but only until 2011. The worsening of relations between the two countries may result in Congress refusing to extend this proviso beyond the specified date for the purchase of “space products” from Russia.

“If I were the president, I would do everything possible so as to make Russia understand what would be the consequences of its bad behavior,” recently said Bill Nelson, a senator from Florida. As an aside, in 1986 Nelson flew into space on board the space shuttle Columbia, where he spent six days. Nelson was supported in his stance by influential American business interests.

In its turn the representatives of NASA aren’t making any tough comments. They underline the fact that NASA and Roskosmos have a long history of cooperation and that the events in Ossetia shouldn’t influence that. They do not support the McCain position because there isn’t any money being allotted to them for new space ships.

Roskosmos also do not want to worsen the situation. They said that the ISS exists outside of politics and nothing threatens the cooperation with NASA. They also refuse to comment on McCain’s position.

*Translator’s Note: The issue of sending poor quality American chicken drum sticks to Russia, beginning during the presidency of George H. W. Bush