Russia and US space cooperation: Who pays the bill?

[lovuian]

http://english.pravda.ru/main/18/88/354/15288_space.html

04/14/2005 15:23
Space has no frontiers. Its distances and resources are boundless. In actuality, space should belong to all humankind. Theoretically, space exploration should be a combined effort of all nations. At least those nations that meet the requirements in terms of economy and technology should join forces. The International Space Station (ISS) is an embodiment of international cooperation in space. The station has been operational for nearly 4.5 years. It seems a fair amount of time to evaluate the feasibility of a space exploration project based on paid-up capital.

The economic rules of our world also apply to space exploration activities. A main shareholder calls the tune. As for the ISS, the United States is the main shareholder. The Americans foot the bill for two-thirds of the equipment and operating costs of the complex. Aside from the financial reasons, Americans use other effective means of justifying their leading role in the project. They provided technological and scientific support to develop space programs in Europe, Canada, and Japan in the 1960s and 1970s. The USA also started large-scale cooperation in space exploration with Russia in 1990s. In fact, Americans helped to keep alive the Russian manned space exploration program in times of political and economic turmoil.

The 1998 intergovernmental agreement stipulates the leading role of the U.S.A. Americans supervise construction and operations of the complex, they are in charge of planning activity with regard to the delivery of payloads and crews, they also enforce safety standards. There are two reasons behind America"s determination to dominate the international projects. Firstly, the USA wants to control the development of high technologies. Secondly, they aim to collect of "the cream" of the world design. The presidential commission headed by Peter Oldrich, a veteran of the U.S. aerospace industry, issued a report in June 2004. The report specifically points to the above goals. In line with some of the objectives of the national space program unveiled by President Bush in January 2004, Oldrich commission was set up to consider issues relating to the purpose and technical realization of America"s future missions to the Moon and Mars. The commission called for taking "steps aimed at protecting technological leadership, economic endurance and security of the U.S.A." As for the ways and approaches to carry out the plan, the commission recommended that "NASA should develop international cooperation on the basis of a structure that will encourage the global-scale investing of talents and technologies in order to fulfil this envisagement."

The concrete plans of the Pentagon mirror the intentions of Bush administration to accelerate space exploration for the benefit of the national security. On March 1st, 2005, U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld signed a directive "The National Defense Strategy." The directive aims to "ensure that the USA has access to space so that the enemy may never use it for hostile purposes."


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So now the space station is getting into National Defense and then who owns it??? Complicated!!!