Thread: Plotting A New Course for NASA
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Old December 1st 11, 03:28 PM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.space.history
J. Clarke[_2_]
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Default Plotting A New Course for NASA
In article ,
says...

In article ,
says...

"J. Clarke" wrote in message
in.local...

Is there a man-rated expendable available other than Soyuz?



Yes. The Chinese booster. However, who knows what their standards are.

There was much grumbling in this group over "man rating" when NASA
astronauts first rode on the Soyuz launcher.

The bottom line is that "man rating" for NASA astronauts means whatever
NASA says it means. NASA's standards have varied over the years. They
not only write the rules, they write the waivers as well.

Astronauts are not man-rated, boosters are man-rated. The US has
certain standards for boosters made by or purchased by NASA for manned
space operations. Soyuz boosters are Russian boosters, made, owned, and
operated by Russians and the Russian's don't give a tinker's damn what
NASA thinks. NASA has a choice, they can buy tickets on Soyuz or they
can simply abandon manned spaceflight altogether and they've chosen to
buy tickets. They have no more authority over the design or operation
of the spacecraft than a passenger on an airliner does over the design
or operation of the airliner.