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Congress Decides To Delay US-Launched Astronauts, Keep Using Russian Services

Posted by Soulskill on from the washington,-we've-had-a-problem dept.

New submitter surfdaddy writes: In order to protect the entrenched big aerospace companies, the Congress has increased NASA's budget for FY2016 but has cut funding for "commercial crew." Commercial crew is the funding used by SpaceX for the planned initial manned launches in the first half of 2017. With this cut, the launch of U.S. astronauts from U.S. soil using U.S. rockets will be delayed two years, and we will continue to send millions of dollars to Russia for launch services. "Senate appropriators suggested that NASA’s plans announced earlier this year to procure Soyuz seats for missions in 2018 indicated that the agency was not confident at even this early stage that the two companies with commercial crew contracts, Boeing and SpaceX, could remain on schedule to begin flights in 2017. ...

4 of 173 comments (clear)

  1. That lawsuit went through just in time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Being able to do military launches means SpaceX neatly outmaneuvered this attempt to cut them off at the knees.

  2. Congress *Cut* Spending??? by Rob+Riggs · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I guess that means the the overall budget will be smaller than last year?

    --
    the growth in cynicism and rebellion has not been without cause
  3. can't congress make up its mind by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This is the same congress that has specifically said that DoD payloads can't be launched using the RD-180 after a certain date to PREVENT us from spending more money buying RD-180 engines from Russia... but in order to get to the ISS we are willing to pay the Russians for a ride.

    Ugh!!!

  4. Re: Go space by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This would still be cheaper than paying Boeing to do the launches.

    Boeing has to charge more, to fund all their political donations, and jobs for ex-bureaucrats. But the sleaze pays off. That is how they got the contract for the KC-X contract over a better and cheaper bid from Northrup-EADS. The USAF picked the better bid, but congress forced them to give the contract to Boeing.

    If SpaceX wants to compete in this market, they need to use a lot more grease.