Virtually every aspect of the manned and unmanned US space program – including NASA, other government agencies, private aerospace company’s and crucially important US national security payloads – are highly dependent on Russian & Ukrainian rocketry and are therefore potentially at risk amidst the current Crimea crisis as tensions flared up dangerously in recent days between Ukraine and Russia with global repercussions.

The sole way for every American and station partner astronaut to fly to space and the ISS is aboard the Russian Soyuz manned capsule since the retirement of NASA’s Space Shuttles in 2011. There are currently NO alternatives to Russia’s Soyuz.

American and station partner astronauts are 100% dependent on Russia’s three seat Soyuz capsule and rocket for rides to the ISS.

Russia has a monopoly on reaching the station because the shuttle was shut down by political ‘leaders’ in Washington, DC before a new U.S. manned space system was brought online.

Read more: http://www.universetoday.com/110006/iss-nasa-and-us-national-security-dependent-on-russian-ukrainian-rocketry-amidst-crimean-crisis/#ixzz2vJxaoFU6

manned space flight that is

Orion Test Flight

2014 might just be the year of Orion. NASA is planning on launching a test flight of their Orion spacecraft — a new crew-carrying capsule expected to bring astronauts to Mars and other deep space destinations — in September 2014.

For the test flight, Orion will plunge through the atmosphere so that engineers can assess the capsule’s heat shield. Orion is also expected to make a parachute-aided splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

This unpiloted test flight will be launched atop a Delta IV Heavy rocket from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Eventually, the capsule will be boosted into space by NASA’s Space Launch System rocket, a heavy-lifting booster in development now.

http://www.space.com/24081-space-missions-to-watch-2014.html

Dont forget the Private space companies like Virgin’s SpaceShipTwo spacecraft

CrazyNeutrino said:

Dont forget the Private space companies like Virgin’s SpaceShipTwo spacecraft

fact is that everyone still has to use Russia to get into space – except perhaps the chinese

if yankland decides to get into a tussle with Russia you can say good bye to manned spaceflight for yanks and their fellow travellers.

just one thing that struck me

if an actor is one that acts

an orator is one that speaks

a terminator is one that terminates

why isn’t it spelt travellor – one that travels – instead of traveller?

unless its somehow something to do with the ending of the original word

orates

CrazyNeutrino said:

Dont forget the Private space companies like Virgin’s SpaceShipTwo spacecraft

And the Europeans: Arianespace’s launcher family – composed of the heavy-lift Ariane 5, medium-lift Soyuz and lightweight Vega – provides performance and flexibility that enables the company to meet its motto: “any mass, to any orbit…anytime.”

And the Oxford English Dictionary explains the situation in these words:

“The distinction between -ER and -OR as the ending of agent-nouns is purely historical and orthographical: in the present spoken language they are both pronounced . In received spelling, the choice between the two forms is often capricious, or determined by other than historical reasons.”

http://calworks.helpscc.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=271:grammar-grater-er&catid=60:grammar&Itemid=924

Tamb said:

CrazyNeutrino said:

Dont forget the Private space companies like Virgin’s SpaceShipTwo spacecraft

And the Europeans: Arianespace’s launcher family – composed of the heavy-lift Ariane 5, medium-lift Soyuz and lightweight Vega – provides performance and flexibility that enables the company to meet its motto: “any mass, to any orbit…anytime.”

Yes Arienespace is fully capable of putting people into space

have they got any manned capsules?

SpaceX Dragon

Dragon is a partially reusable spacecraft developed by SpaceX, an American private space transportation company based in Hawthorne, California. Dragon is launched into space by the SpaceX Falcon 9 two-stage-to-orbit launch vehicle, and is capable of both manned and robotic operation.

…..

As part of an optional milestone of CCiCap, the first crewed Dragon flight would occur no sooner than mid-2015. This orbital flight would see Dragon being launched into a 200-nautical-mile (370-km) orbit. The first crewed mission is planned to last at least three days and be performed with a crew of three non-NASA personnel. As part of another optional milestone, the first crewed Dragon flight to the ISS is planned to be launched no sooner than December 2015; this mission will also carry a non-NASA crew.

CrazyNeutrino said:

Tamb said:

CrazyNeutrino said:

Dont forget the Private space companies like Virgin’s SpaceShipTwo spacecraft

And the Europeans: Arianespace’s launcher family – composed of the heavy-lift Ariane 5, medium-lift Soyuz and lightweight Vega – provides performance and flexibility that enables the company to meet its motto: “any mass, to any orbit…anytime.”

Yes Arienespace is fully capable of putting people into space

have they got any manned capsules?

no

You know I would not be surprised if the US air force had something up its sleeve

I wonder if the X37B could carry a suited astronaut into space?

CrazyNeutrino said:

You know I would not be surprised if the US air force had something up its sleeve

I wonder if the X37B could carry a suited astronaut into space?

I don’t think so

robots only, not big enough for a life support system

There’s not a lot of room up there anyway

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-07/new-research-centre-to-remove-space-junk-save-satellites/5306286

rumpole said:

There’s not a lot of room up there anyway

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-07/new-research-centre-to-remove-space-junk-save-satellites/5306286

yes, a growing problem

and another busy year for space missions

2014 in spaceflight

wookiemeister said:

CrazyNeutrino said:

Dont forget the Private space companies like Virgin’s SpaceShipTwo spacecraft

fact is that everyone still has to use Russia to get into space – except perhaps the chinese

if yankland decides to get into a tussle with Russia you can say good bye to manned spaceflight for yanks and their fellow travellers.

just one thing that struck me

if an actor is one that acts

an orator is one that speaks

a terminator is one that terminates

why isn’t it spelt travellor – one that travels – instead of traveller?

Because it is an action rather than a profession?

wookiemeister said:

And the Oxford English Dictionary explains the situation in these words:

“The distinction between -ER and -OR as the ending of agent-nouns is purely historical and orthographical: in the present spoken language they are both pronounced . In received spelling, the choice between the two forms is often capricious, or determined by other than historical reasons.”

http://calworks.helpscc.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=271:grammar-grater-er&catid=60:grammar&Itemid=924

Another one for air crash investigations

At least one Google X-prize entrant is relying on using an upper stage for Earth to Moon orbit made in the Ukraine. Ukraine also makes the Tsyklon and Zenit launchers.

Russian launchers have been by far the best value for money to low earth orbit. Now the US Spacex Falcon rockets are challenging that, and are being made ready for manned flights. If that falls through then perhaps a deal could be struck with China, who have been managing safe flights at low cost but have been keeping their rockets to themselves. Another possibility is the new European Vega rocket.

We can rule out, for US manned space flight:
European Arianne 5 – too big
India – too many launch failures
Japan – too expensive
USA older launchers (Titan, Delta, Shuttle, Saturn, Atlas, Taurus) – retired