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Energiya Pushes For A 6-Person Space Capsule
voss writes "Apparently the Russians want to build their own reusable capsule called the Clipper that can be used up to 25 times and can fit 6 people. They also say they can build their ship in 5 years. The key here is if they can get the funding. The shuttle will be retired in 2010 and with no credible replacement on the horizon...why doesn't NASA give the Russians a chance?"
Russia sent the first man into space.* Americans didn't.
Russians still send humans into space. Americans don't.
And you really believe that NASA sent people to the moon? Then you might as well believe in Alien Abductions, Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy
Russians are the true Space pioneers. They boldly went where no American has gone before
Indefinitely Detained US Citizen
Which, if course, ignores the current and previous ISS crews - all including US astronauts.
Nice try, trollboy.
How many of you are actually involved in the space business? How is that you know certain things about this and that with such a total confidence? Easy! And to the Americans in the forum - you are not so great, because if you were, you would clearly see the advantages of outsourcing - the others do the job, you - innovate. But you cannot, can you? What is the percentage of foreign scientists contributing to the "American" science? Scientific way of thinking is an irregularity and is naturally distributed, means you, being a power must encourage such irregularities everywhere else. Cheers, slashdot. I better dash..
Come on, we Brazilians have the most advanced space program ever. While NASA/ESA/etc spends billions of dollars in research to launch five to seven astronauts, we accomplished to launch 21 people into space and beyond. Getting them back is another story.
Dear aunt, let's set so double the killer delete select all
I guess they should have given some duct tape to those 3 Russian cosmonauts who asphyxiated because their capsule depressurized too soon during reentry. The design of the Russian capsule was so brilliant that there was no room for the cosmonauts to wear spacesuits, but heck, who needs 'em, we're talking simple, reliable Russian technology here!
Snippet from the Boston Globe: The most serious reentry accident before the Columbia disaster occurred on June 29, 1971, when the Soviet Soyuz 11 depressurized during reentry. Air rushed out of the capsule, killing cosmonauts Georgi Dobrovolsky, Vladislav Volkov, and Viktor Patsayev, who apparently made a desparate attempt to close the pressure-equalizing valve. The cramped conditions in the capsule prevented the crew from wearing spacesuits, which would have saved their lives.
The fact that the Soviet Union did quite a good job at suppressing accident information no doubt has helped to foster an aura of safety and reliability. I'm not trying to say that the shuttle isn't overcomplicated and overdesigned, but Russians have made mistakes too.
When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered that ballpoint pens won't work in zero gravity. To combat the problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 billion to develop a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to 300 C.
The Russians used a pencil.
Excuse me, but AHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAAAAA HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH AHA HAHAHA AHAHHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!*ahem*
The US is one of the countries giving the LEAST in foreign aid in the WORLD (by percentage). Norway, I believe, has the highest percentage, and Japan the biggest gross aid.
I've seen DEVELOPING COUNTRIES give more in aid.
The US is polluting our air, killing innocents in "charity liberation wars"...
And, yet, 80% of Americans (1989 poll) think that they're carrying the world on their shoulders... Get a grip, will you?
At least then maybe they've have a lottery to get some of us off of this rock since its only a matter of time before we get nuked because some country is pissed that we aren't giving them enough foreign aid.
Hey, you're the people with the nukes... You are the only country that has ever USED nukes. Countries aren't pissed off because you aren't giving them cash, they're pissed off because YOU'RE FUCKING BOMBING THEM!!
Do you even know how small an amount $15 billion is in comparison to your military budget?
toresbe