Obama’s Space Plan Let’s Russians Charge More For Rocket Rides

Orion Is Ready

The Russian government, having maintained its support for human space flight even during the worst of economic times, can now reap the benefits of that long-term focus. As reported by Florida Today in, As options diminish, prices are going up, the Russians are about to make a good bit of money from their determination to explore space. Tickets aboard Soyuz are increasing from $20 million to $51 million, each, for six seats.

But the next time NASA is negotiating for seats in 2013, 2014 and 2015, the shuttles almost certainly will have long been retired. Even if the White House proposal for private crew taxi services is coming together, the chance is very, very slim that those rockets and spacecraft will be operational by then.

Look for the Russians to be charging NASA in the range of $70 million to $80 million, if not more, by mid-decade, if the commercial ventures that President Barack Obama is banking on haven’t yet delivered an alternative to spur price competition.

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One Comment

  1. It was the BUSH administration’s plan to have the Russians ferry us between 2010 and 2014 (which then became 2015). Don’t pin that on Obama. This administration just cut off the Constellation project once it looked like we would be relying on Russia until 2016 or later – and not getting to the Moon until 2028, and then without a lander. They instead suggested a different approach might get us back sooner. This seems to be working, since Lockheed, who was content to keep collecting our funds until 2016 or later, now feels the Orion part of Constellation is quite viable, and can be ready by 2013, and possibly ready to orbit the Moon by 2015!! It appears competition, or just the threat of it, works!!

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