US to Pay to go to ISS

forgotten_my_nick writes "According to BBC News, Russia has announced that it will no longer ferry US astronauts to space for free (It has been doing so for two years). From 2006 the US will be expected to pay."

Frequent flyer miles?

[alpha1125]

Do the astronauts get frequent flyer miles for this trip?

Reminds me of that Texas/Bush-ite Bumper Sticker

[glomph]

on the pickup trucks with the gun racks:

"Gas, Grass, or Ass, Nobody Rides for Free!"

Astronaut Training Class

[D.A. Zollinger]

Addendum information class, 44535i

Topic: Manouver to effectivly gain ridership from an unknown source.

Step 1: Extend arm.
Step 2: Make fist, then extend thumb to full open position.
Step 3: Bend elbow to move hand from starting position to the side of the head. Count to two, return hand to starting position, count to two, and repeat.
Step 4: Optional step for female austronauts - pull up right leg covering to expose skin.

With any luck, you will attract the attention of passing space craft who will give you a ride to your destination of choice, preferably the International Space Station.

Re:White Elephant

[qbwiz]

They were planning on studying the effects of starvation in space, but the Russians managed to screw up the experiment.

Re:WTG Russia.

[NanoGator]

"how excally does 'mankind' benifit from by going into space?"

Well, according to TV, most of the stuff I bought was a direct result of space travel.

Re:Well then.

[freeze128]

Perhaps we should rename the space station then. How does everyone like the acronym for American Space Station? Hmmm... Maybe not such a good idea.

Re:In related news...

[thepoch]

Astronauts aren't astronauts if they can't accept the risk they might get killed.

I'm scared of transporters also... but that won't stop me. Coz Ive got faith of the heart. Im going where my heart will take me. Ive got faith to believe. I can do anything. Yes siree.

Re:Well then.

[Anonymous Coward]

In Soviet Russia, you feed the Russian Space Station!!

(get it? RSS?)

*ducks*

Re:Well then.

[hazem]

One shuttle flight - $300M
One Russian flight - $20M

If the shuttle fleet weren't grounded, each US flight would cost as much as, what, 60 Russian launches.

PLEASE tell me you don't work at NASA. 300 / 20 = 15... or maybe you're using metric?

Re:What we need

[geekoid]

"Something slime,"
some sort of bioship, I take it.

"easy to manuever,"

that is small and complex

"and doesn't blow up in space."
and magic.

Re:White Elephant

[St. Arbirix]

...and troubles with reapprovisionment

Dear god man! Where did you find that word?!!

I can understand how NASA pays several hundred dollars for a hammer, but 17 characters just to say "money" is insanity!* Did you read this from a .gov site?

Re:International relations

[king-manic]

Or it could simply be just the latter half of your post here.

I mean, seriously, you're going out on a limb here to make your point that you don't like what Bush did. Why not take it a step further and blame the hurricanes in Florida on the immorality on the war?

Frankly, I'm not the slightest bit curious if Bush had anything to do with that until Russia comes out and says it. Theories on this matter have little practical value.

I think the only one going out on a limb is you.

Re:In related news...

[Anonymous Coward]

You guys...wtf does the ISS matter? Don't you know we have a war to fight? Freakin tree lovers. You should now that Iraq_NEEDS_democracy and the only way to give it to them is by occupying their country and making sure we help them "control" their oil. What the hell does the ISS have to do with brining the world democracy?

Weird isn't it Bush wants to spread Democracy like the pope (in medieval times) wanted to spread Christianity.

Re:detiorate

[Skevin]

> NASA has knows it needs to be changes.
> NASA tries to change it.
> Talk to congress.

4. ???
5. Profit!!

Re:Well then.

[Vitus Wagner]

How the hell you would rename it? You got no vehicle to get there and paint new name on the board?

Next time we fly Soyuz there, we would get some red paint with us and paint big letters MIR-2 there

Re:White Elephant

[g00z]

That, sir, is a man who would kick your ASS to Triton in a game of scrabble.

ASS!

[Dogtanian]

>> In the beginning, the ISS was supposed to be a great international effort to promote science in orbit, among other things.

> Actually, in the beginning it was supposed to be an American space station.

Perhaps they didn't want to do it themselves after they figured out the acronymn for 'American Space Station'? ;-)

Re:Well then.

[Directrix1]

All I know, is that this seems like an act of terrorism. This is an obvious attempt by "the enemy" to slow the adoption of democracy the world over. Alright, Bush time to deploy troops to MIR.

Re:Repaid already?

[robsimmon]

Aren't pommes frites really Belgian?

High Observation Laboratory Environment

[peter303]

NASA is re-naming the science module the American Space Station High Observation Laboratory Environment after its management team.