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Russian Invasion of Georgia Might Jeopardize Space Station

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the you-can't-get-there-from-here dept.

mknewman writes "Sen. Bill Nelson, one of NASA's biggest proponents on the Hill, is openly questioning how Russia's military intervention in Georgia will affect our access to the space station after the Shuttle is retired in 2010. Currently, NASA is able to use Soyuz vehicles for crew access and lifeboat operations thanks to an exemption from the Iran Non-Proliferation Act. The exemption expires in 2011, only one year after the Shuttle is due to head to the museums."

8 of 515 comments (clear)

  1. What? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The summary makes absolutely no sense.

    Can anyone shed light on what is going on?

    1. Re:What? by martin-boundary · · Score: 5, Insightful

      How do you invade your own territory?

      Be careful how you state this. If Georgia has truly invaded its own territory, then it follows that Saakashvili bombed his own people. Saddam was hanged for this.

  2. Russia has ultimate weapon. by BitterOldGUy · · Score: 5, Insightful
    ...somehow since then we aren't allowed to piss them off.

    Russia has the greatest weapon of our time: oil. They have more than the Saudis. Nobody is going to piss them off and disrupt their supply.

  3. Re:NO wonder nerds have a bad rep by Evilest+Doer · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I can't believe that a slight pertubation to the timeline of the hopeless ISS is what really troubles nerds when two countries are at war. Seriously..!

    Or, you could look at it this way. Overall human progress is being delayed because two countries are involved in a pissing and "my-dick-is-bigger-than-yours" contest. Or, similar to what Ernest Rutherford said, we've got more important things to worry about than another stupid war.

    --
    I feel like death on a soda cracker.
  4. Re:US manned spaceflight ends in 2010 by Free+the+Cowards · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The US can't afford it any more.

    What bullshit! The US doesn't want to pay it any more. It can certainly afford it. Bringing NASA up to Apollo levels of funding would be a virtually unnoticeable drop in the current federal budget.

    --
    If you mod me Overrated, you are admitting that you have no penis.
  5. Re:Russia's ressponse was reasonable and justified by dunkelfalke · · Score: 5, Insightful

    now please explain to me how georgia could kill only 6 people by shelling a sleeping capital city at midnight?

    also of note is the fact, that georgia borders chechnya where lots of russian troops are waiting for any action.

    --
    "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
  6. Re:When push comes to shove by Bemopolis · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yeah, US foreign policy has been pretty much spineless when dealing with Russia since Reagans day...

    Yeah, I'm sure glad we had the foresight to arm and fund the muhajadin in Afghanistan. I mean, that went great and NEVER AFFECTED US EVER AGAIN...

    --
    "I guess the moral of the story is, don't paint your airship with rocket fuel." -- Addison Bain
  7. Re:When push comes to shove by X.25 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why don't you ask somebody from Poland, the Baltic States, Finland or Ukraine what they think of recent Russian actions?

    Why don't you ask someone from Balkans what they think about US actions in regards of bombing sovereign nation, taking part of their country and allowing it to declare independence?