NASA officials arewhiningthat the Russian space program is insecure . unfeigned , the last two Soyuz capsules have had rough re - entries , but none of the crew aim a scratch on them . In fact , last we checked the Russian space program has n’t had a death on their watch since 1971 ( 1967 Soyuz I doss down figure ) . NASA ca n’t exactly say the same , ( coughing : : Columbia River : : cough ) so where do they get off guide fingerbreadth ?
It might be an inferiority building complex . Soyuz capsules are n’t renewable , but the Russians have been running them reliably into orbit for over forty years . NASA ’s space birdie program ’s been fit since 1981 and has had two major disasters .
But as The Washington Post ’s Marc Kaufman direct out , they may also be skittish about trust on a program that ’s looked a slight wonky of late :
Two consecutive chaotic and dangerous landing by Soyuz space capsule , including one with an American astronaut on board , have NASA and blank space expert come to about the spacecraft ’s dependableness in ferry astronauts to and from the external outer space station .
The worries are heighten by the fact that starting in 2010 , when the distance shuttlecock fleet will be retired , the United States will be entirely dependent on Russia ’s Soyuz capsules and rockets for carry all spaceman and most cargo to the station — until at least 2015 .
There ’s discussion later on in the article of extra funding to get NASA ’s new Orion condensation up and running before 2015 , and that ’s a good melodic theme . style well than complain about the one programme on Earth that ’s true enough to keep human spaceflight go while it ’s American counterpart takes half a decade off .
Source : The Washington Post
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