NASA needs to use long-term Russian spacecraft

Charles Bolden - NASA representative - informed the Science Commission that the aerospace agency is taking steps to make it possible to use Russian spacecraft - this will be the only option for NASA when its fleet of submarines US space stops at the end of the year due to budget constraints delaying the development of a commercial crew.

'With current funding, we anticipate the ability to pay for transportation and rescue can last until 2017. In addition, the US commercial space ship is scheduled to operate in 2016. '.

However, when answering a question about a long-term plan for commercial ships, NASA representatives also said they were not sure of the commercial ability to support space stations before the planned stop operation in 2020.

NASA leaders also added that the plan will face unexpected technical problems. On the other hand, critics - including the leaders of the House and Senate committees for NASA - also argue that NASA Aviation has invested too much in finding transport. from the outside. Congress has cut funding for commercial crews to $ 400 million, 50% less than NASA's requirement. Senate leaders are also expected to repeat the budget model for the next year.

The fundamental problem is that efforts to approach orbits close to the earth risk losing funding due to dual-purpose programs capable of transporting astronauts.