News
The price the United States is paying Russia to launch American astronauts to the International Space Station just went up. Again. For the third time in four years.
With the U.S. shuttle fleet set to retire in September, NASA announced Tuesday that it signed a $335 million deal with the Russian Federal Space Agency to provide round trips to the station for six crew members.
That works out to almost $56 million per seat on Russian Soyuz space taxies, or about $5 million more than the $51 million NASA paid per seat in a similar deal in May 2009.
It's also up from $48 million per seat in 2007. And that deal included the delivery or removal of 5.6 tons of cargo.
Some observers say NASA was smart to lock in a price prior to shuttle fleet retirement.
As it stands, the venerable Soyuz will be the only spacecraft capable of ferrying astronauts on round trips to the outpost until U.S. companies develop commercial crew taxi services.
The Obama Administration's proposed 2011 budget cancels NASA's Orion spacecraft and Ares rockets -- would-be shuttle successors. Instead it directs NASA to invest $6 billion over five years in the development of commercial means to transport U.S. station crew members.
Russia now charges space tourists about $35 million for 10-day round trips to the outpost, which orbits about 220 miles above Earth.
The firm, fixed-price NASA contract modification covers comprehensive Soyuz support, including all training and preparation for launch, crew rescue, and landing for astronauts who typically stay four to six months.
The deal locks in Soyuz seats in 2013 and 2014. Astronauts flying under the contract will be able to launch with 110 pounds of cargo and return 37 pounds to Earth. Each of the six astronauts also will be able to dispose of 66 pounds of trash.
With the U.S. shuttle fleet set to retire in September, NASA announced Tuesday that it signed a $335 million deal with the Russian Federal Space Agency to provide round trips to the station for six crew members.
That works out to almost $56 million per seat on Russian Soyuz space taxies, or about $5 million more than the $51 million NASA paid per seat in a similar deal in May 2009.
It's also up from $48 million per seat in 2007. And that deal included the delivery or removal of 5.6 tons of cargo.
Some observers say NASA was smart to lock in a price prior to shuttle fleet retirement.
As it stands, the venerable Soyuz will be the only spacecraft capable of ferrying astronauts on round trips to the outpost until U.S. companies develop commercial crew taxi services.
The Obama Administration's proposed 2011 budget cancels NASA's Orion spacecraft and Ares rockets -- would-be shuttle successors. Instead it directs NASA to invest $6 billion over five years in the development of commercial means to transport U.S. station crew members.
Russia now charges space tourists about $35 million for 10-day round trips to the outpost, which orbits about 220 miles above Earth.
The firm, fixed-price NASA contract modification covers comprehensive Soyuz support, including all training and preparation for launch, crew rescue, and landing for astronauts who typically stay four to six months.
The deal locks in Soyuz seats in 2013 and 2014. Astronauts flying under the contract will be able to launch with 110 pounds of cargo and return 37 pounds to Earth. Each of the six astronauts also will be able to dispose of 66 pounds of trash.
