Russia Doubles Price For Launching US Astronauts

Third Position writes "NASA on Tuesday signed a contract to pay $55.8 million per astronaut for six Americans to fly into space on Russian Soyuz capsules in 2013 and 2014. NASA needs to get rides on Russian rockets to the International Space Station because it plans to retire the space shuttle fleet later this year. NASA now pays half as much, about $26.3 million per astronaut, when it uses Russian ships."

Comments

Capitalism

[TaoPhoenix]

"You wanted us to adopt market pricing, yes Comrade?"

Re:Capitalism

[Mr Thinly Sliced]

I have altered the deal. Pray I do not alter it further.

Re:Capitalism

[sopssa]

And this is why US will eventually fall, like every other empire in the human history. Only thing that is needed for it is when China and Taiwan decide to increase their manufacturing prices. It's a bad economy as it is and everyone in the US is getting high pays only because of international loans. You can't live on loans forever - eventually someone will start gathering them back. Since this is politics as well, the only thing needed is to provide manufacturing, product building and technology research cheaper than the US. Oh wait, that's what has been happening for years in India and China and US companies are still going for it.

You don't need to have a war to win, just collapse the other country.

Interesting question would be,

[dragisha]

What does it cost with Shuttle?

Re:Interesting question would be,

[peragrin]

It is variable. The shuttle launches 7 not 3 people however the shuttle can also carry literally tons of cargo too something that requires multiple launches with russias design. It is why NASA built the iss. Launching the components is cheaper and more can bedone in any given section with the shuttle.

So for transporting just new people Soyuz isthe way to go. You needto expand the station the shuttle isbetter

 

Re:Interesting question would be,

[damburger]

Don't forget to add in 25t of cargo launched alongside the crew (so no rendezvous needed for a crew+cargo mission). Furthermore, the shuttle payload bay is BIG and can accommodate payloads too large for any other currently flying vehicle.

Nothing to see here.

[Anonymous Coward]

Prices go up when competition declines. Shock and horror expressed by those ignorant of basic economics. Film at 11.

Old News

[QuantumG]

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20090513/155009780.html

Yawn.

Re:Old News

[QuantumG]

They agreed to pay $51 million adjusted for inflation.. the seats are for the 2012-2013 timeframe because they've already signed at this price last year - another reason why this is old news.

Re:Obvious Question

[sycodon]

About $75 Million ($450 Million per launch)

Figure 450 million per shuttle launch

[Shivetya]

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/about/information/shuttle_faq.html

Funny how it was cheaper to fly as a paid passenger than astronaut.

Re:Why the hell does it cost so much to reach orbi

[Smallpond]

Problem 1 - the burning fuel is hotter than the melting point of the engines.

Problem 2 - the engines have to run at sea level and in a vacuum.

Problem 3 - flying through atmosphere at 2000 MPH

Problem 4 - getting down

Get back to me after you think you have those solved cheaply and safely.

Re:Disgraceful!

[turgid]

What the hell is going on with our country?!

You gave up to chase stock markets instead.

Re:Disgraceful!

[Anonymous Coward]

We lead the space race, put men on the moon, landers on Mars, explored the furthest reaches of our system, made huge technological breakthroughs via the space race and now we're reduced to begging for rides from the commies?

What the hell is going on with our country?!

Yep. America lead the space race.
1st earth creature in space: Russian Dog.
1st person in space: Yuri Gagarin (Russian).
1st person to orbit earth: Yuri Gagarin (Russian, same mission).
1st woman in space: Valentina Tereshkova (Russian)
1st space walk: Alexei Leonov (Russian)
1st man on the moon: Neil Armstrong (American)

After 5 space firsts by the Russians, America finally beat them to something: the moon.

1st space station: Salyut 1 (Russian)

Re:Why the hell does it cost so much to reach orbi

[SharpFang]

essentially - yes.
There are serious problems. Like, the engines are running a sustained explosion of hydrogen-oxygen mix, which produces temperature quite a bit higher than anything we have at our disposal could survive. It's pretty much only the shape that keeps the explosion far enough to be safe. Oxygen oxidizes everything it touches for prolonged time, hydrogen leaks through thinnest gaps deemed secure normally. Add stability - like ballancing a broom vertically on top of your finger, the unstabilized rocket will happily fly DOWN. Control acceleration - you could easily bring astronauts to orbit in half the time and quite a bit less fuel, except they would have to be scooped with a spoon from the rocket. Your "grain silo" has walls that aren't much thicker than alufoil, and can be easily pierced with a pencil, but it holds liquid hydrogen at room temperature. Check what pressure is liquid hydrogen at room temperature.

When you start adding it up, and especially if you add up all the -failed- tests before you get things right, you come up with much more than $60mln.

Re:Disgraceful!

[darkmeridian]

We've become a bunch of scaredy cats. The Shuttle can still work if you accept the risk that we will lose astronauts during space travel. That's the price of space travel. It's not political like Obama or Bush. It has to do with our country being perfectly content sending thousands of young Americans to die in the foreign sands of war-zones, but terrified that seven grown men and women might die while exploring space. We're just being fucking stupid about this, and I say this with much love for the United States.