No more space tourists after 2009

[Trooper110]

Russia: No more space tourists after 2009- msnbc.com

This make anyone else wonder? Especially with the current situation between Russia and the rest of the world.

[MR_MADHATTER]

I know that NASA has placed considerable pressure on the Russians to stop bringing passengers. They think that space is only for the astronauts and we lowly civilians are not worthy to fly in space.

Even though NASA has done some spectacular things in the past, I have gradually become more and more critical of what they do and how they do it. It began with missing Mars with a probe because of a math error (twice). Then sending up a Hubble that couldn't see. Things that were easily avoidable. Then I read about all the near misses they had back in the Apollo program. And the loss of 3 astronauts for no good reason on Apollo 1.

They lost Challenger because schedual was more important than safety. And even though Columbia was hard to avoid, they got busted by what they knew could potentially become a problem. They're official responce that "accidents are inevitible", dosn't fly with me. You should never accept accidents as "inevittable" and that there is nothing that can be done about them. That's complacency, and it's a killer.

NASA thinks they own the patent on outer space. But they are gonna get run over by the private sector one of these days and it would do them good to show a little respect for us lowly ground pounders who fund their fantasy. Because tomorow they may want to hitch a ride with us!

[Rand{CLR}]

It may not be as ominious as it appears, but it's also not due to the station capacity expanding (entirely anyway). What the article doesn't point out, and what Americans should feel to be a national shame, is that NASA is trying to hitch on Soyuz flights for a couple of years in between the Shuttle retirement and the replacement going online.

That's just a sad state of things. Hitching rides on those Russian birds for 2 years? Ugh. Maybe Obama will put NASA to rights after he fixes some of the other stuff he's got his eye on.

-Rand

[Toryu72]

I'am not surprised at all.

[Hammy]

I know that NASA has placed considerable pressure on the Russians to stop bringing passengers. They think that space is only for the astronauts and we lowly civilians are not worthy to fly in space.

Even though NASA has done some spectacular things in the past, I have gradually become more and more critical of what they do and how they do it. It began with missing Mars with a probe because of a math error (twice). Then sending up a Hubble that couldn't see. Things that were easily avoidable. Then I read about all the near misses they had back in the Apollo program. And the loss of 3 astronauts for no good reason on Apollo 1.

They lost Challenger because schedual was more important than safety. And even though Columbia was hard to avoid, they got busted by what they knew could potentially become a problem. They're official responce that "accidents are inevitible", dosn't fly with me. You should never accept accidents as "inevittable" and that there is nothing that can be done about them. That's complacency, and it's a killer.

NASA thinks they own the patent on outer space. But they are gonna get run over by the private sector one of these days and it would do them good to show a little respect for us lowly ground pounders who fund their fantasy. Because tomorow they may want to hitch a ride with us!

I agree with this POV.
If anyone were to suddenly prove, intentionally- directly- indirectly, that space travel can be cheap, safe and done well by private citizens, NASA will lose funding rights that they are almost guaranteed not to share with anyone else at this moment.

NASA is a great organization, don't get me wrong, but I think it has gotten lazy and has lost some of it's A-Player attitude.

[juneau]

It may not be as ominious as it appears, but it's also not due to the station capacity expanding (entirely anyway). What the article doesn't point out, and what Americans should feel to be a national shame, is that NASA is trying to hitch on Soyuz flights for a couple of years in between the Shuttle retirement and the replacement going online.

That's just a sad state of things. Hitching rides on those Russian birds for 2 years? Ugh. Maybe Obama will put NASA to rights after he fixes some of the other stuff he's got his eye on.

-Rand

There is also the possibility of the STS program continuing until at least 2012. I for one will hate to see it go. The shuttle rules.