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Russia Forming Space Alliance With Iran, May Fly Iranian Astronaut (examiner.com)
MarkWhittington writes: Quietly, the Russians appear to be forming a space alliance with the Islamic Republic of Iran, according to a story in Sputnik. Not only is Russia in talks to launch Iranian satellites on Russian rockets but also to include an Iranian astronaut on a future space mission. What that space mission might be is open to question. A visit by an Iranian astronaut to the International Space Station would likely kick up a political firestorm with the United States, even though the Obama administration is attempting to develop a rapprochement with the Islamic Republic.
Woohoo! Space Race II...
At least during GWBush years while we were hated we were respected. Nowdays -- we are a laughed at and publically humiliated.
Obama's foreign policy -- #winning!
They keep him in handcuffs and do a deep cavity search, all the way up to his esophagus, it should be ok.
Which way is east in space?
"If any question why we died, Tell them because our fathers lied."
Since they'd be flying with the Russians, wouldn't that make 'em cosmonauts rather than astronauts? While I always found the distinction irrelevant, there's still a difference between astro, cosmo, spatio and taiko nauts...
Or are americans really just not good enough to have a term of their own and astronaut just encompasses their (american) scientists as well as all others?
I would like ./ editors to stop with "future Russian plans" stories, 'cause I can almost give you a warranty that given the today's economical situation in Russia, and given the fact that it's on the verge of collapse next to nothing will pan out in the nearest 20 to 50 years.
It would have been better if you'd run a story about the Russian ruble. It's dying. Oh, btw, my previous comment about Russia was modded "Troll" - I do hope that rabid Russian patriots here on ./ will not miss this comment as well.
Probably going to release a bunch of micro-satellites that collectively wideband broadcast 'Death to America' in every known language.
Did you mean which way is the shrine in Mecca?
From LEO, it varies, just as it does on the surface. From far away, it would just be towards Earth.
This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.
He'll feel right at home on an ICBM as it slams into the target and sends him on to the 76 virgins...
They would face down and move their heads. At 18,000 miles an hour in orbit, they'd have to face down and keep moving their mats so that they're constantly facing Mecca. And because the time of day is constantly changing rates because of their orbit, their five times a day prayer would happen all the time. Meaning, they'd have to just put their mats on a rotating platform and stay on them constantly in order to adhere to their prayer duties as a Muslim. Let's face it, observant Muslims just cannot cope in space.
Until you get your own manned launch capability, you can just shut up and go along for the ride. Or get out and walk.
People need to understand that a more technologically advanced Iran means the world will deal with a more advanced country, and a more advanced government, period. Iran has a lot of extremely smart people who's voices are not heard because they are drowned by the voices of the mentally insane.
The sooner Iran values knowledge and science more than it values blind belief in fairy tales, the better for the rest of the world.
All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain... time... to... die...
It's not that hard. In a gravity-dominated, rotating frame of reference, one always has two special directions, namely the rotation axis (north-south) and direction towards the mass centre (up-down). The east-west axis for given point (unless these two are the same, which only happens at the poles) can be defined as a direction perpendicular to both, with east heading forward relative to rotation speed.
Earth's orbit, Solar system, and Milky way are all such systems. And there's little chance they get beyond Milky way soon.
WYSIWIG, but what you see might not be what you need
American-Iranian Anousheh Ansari went to the ISS onboard a Soyuz as a space tourist in 2006, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anousheh_Ansari
The whole "lets dick around in space" thing is one of the best uses of technology. We learn stuff and see cool real things. Russia is pretty much the gateway to the heavens right now, so it makes a lot of sense for Iran to partner with them.
Don't get me wrong, Rah Rah USA and all, and I hope we start doing all the cool stuff we used to with shuttles and rockets and what-not, but at this point I don't feel that it's a massive competition- I'd just like to see multiple space vehicles doing cool things.
As an American, believe me when I tell you that our government and most of our country (except for a few crazy right wingers) would love for Iran-US relations to improve at least to where each country doesn't cause the other one problems. In fact, I believe that the USA and Iran will one day again be great friends. Whether that is 10 years, 20 years or 50 years from now remains to be seen. But for reasons I won't go into less it digress into a pointless political discussion that never ends, it seems pretty inevitable for me. Just like if you find the average American under 60 years old probably has a very positive opinion of Japan but old people who lived through World War II may still carry some grudges, with time the older generation that hates the other side will die out and the younger generation will reap the benefits of friendship. I don't think having an Iranian on the ISS would be a big deal and if it leads to less tension between the 2 countries, I say "How quickly can we make this happen?"
I am sure Iran has great scientists and visiting space station is not going to help them develop nukes (or at least experiment payload can be screened to rule that out). What objections can we possibly have to advancement of human knowledge, no matter which country the astronaut is from?
I don't think there has been a direct Iranian terrorist with a DuPont overcoat. they support proxies for that.
mustn't get hands dirty.
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
So the Iranian missile program was also intended to result a national space program as a result. Now Russia offers a way around the recent spat on the said missile program. Perhaps the US should embrace the situation and support it, as a way to reduce the manufactured tensions.
What I would give to boot them off of the ISS.
In fucking space!!!!
Where do I sign?
I thought that the reason Iranian leaders hate America so much is because it is a nation of infidels. How would Russia--with its atheist views--not be considered infidels too?
This place has gone to the morons.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Muslim_astronauts
I'm sure we all remember the hilarious Iran Photoshop of their missile program. Having Iran dependent on Russia for satellite launches means they have one less reason to try to advance their own rocketry science. If all it takes is a token Iranian photo-op on the ISS then that is a pretty cheap win. With oil in the toilet Russia could probably use the currency also, and a stable Russia is probably a good thing.
We know that Iran will use this space program for a sinister purpose. Iran has a history of being a country with an aggressive foreign policy, trumped-up pretext for foreign invasions, tonnes of WMD's, and intimidation of any place that does not agree to their policy decisions. It is known they are mass murderers. Name me one aggressive foreign policy, false pretext for war or WMD that America has. None. We can't trust those foreigners.
In my opinion, an alliance between Russia, Iran, China, India, Vietnam, etc. will define the future. Iran is the ancient civilization. Many concepts and inventions, which we use daily nowadays, were created by the human genius in the ancient Persia.
In comparison, the EU project, or even the US project, have got a serious weakness, - littleness. Eurasia has got 54 million square kilometers of territory, 5 billion population https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
Firstly a modern railway network connecting the whole Eurasia, Americas, Africa should be built. Thousands of tunnels, bridges, etc. It will be the work for millions. But for this there should be a leadership in the world. The problem with current leadership is again - the littleness.
I think it is a good idea to cooperate with Iran in space and in other domains.
Am I the only one sick and tired of almost everyday non-news about Russia? Russia may, Russia will, Russia is planning, Russia is going, Russia wants, etc. Or: a few decades ago Soviet Union did that thing! - well, not really, but planned, wanted, almost got there, etc. Things that actually happen in Russia or done by Russia are not that great these days (years). And certainly most of them are not quite /. material.
Can I sponsor a number of one-way flights into orbit for radical Iranians? Perhaps we could crowdfund an effort to launch them all?