Kommersant: Russia and U.S. Share Space on Soyuz

http://www.kommersant.com/page.asp?id=639930

Kommersant: Russia and U.S. Share Space on Soyuz
by Ivan Safronov
// Space cooperation

At the end of last week, NASA revealed the details of a deal reached at the
end of last year on transporting American astronauts to the International
Space Station. Under the deal, NASA will pay the Russian space agency
Roskosmos $21.8 million for every American transported on Russian Soyuz TMA
craft round trip. Russia fulfilled its obligations to carry American
astronauts for free last year. American law impeded the conclusion of a
commercial contract by tying such flights to Russian involvement with Iran.

However, with shuttles grounded, America has no alternative to the Russian
Soyuz craft and the U.S. Congress finally allowed NASA to make a contract
with Roskosmos. A $43.6-million contract was signed at the end of December.
This March, astronaut Bill McArthur will return on a Soyuz from the space
station, where he has been working since last September, and Jeff Williams
will replace him at that time and return to Earth in September. NASA has
also reserved places on the Soyuz for the same price through 2012.

American legislators are making U.S. President George W. Bush provide a list
of all Russian participants in the contract and confirmation that the
payment for the space transport will not be used for weapons of mass
destruction for Iran or Syria to the House and Senate Foreign Affairs
Committees.

Jim Oberg wrote:

http://www.kommersant.com/page.asp?id=639930

Kommersant: Russia and U.S. Share Space on Soyuz
by Ivan Safronov
// Space cooperation

At the end of last week, NASA revealed the details of a deal reached at the
end of last year on transporting American astronauts to the International
Space Station. Under the deal, NASA will pay the Russian space agency
Roskosmos $21.8 million for every American transported on Russian Soyuz TMA
craft round trip. Russia fulfilled its obligations to carry American
astronauts for free last year.



And we all have John Denver to thank for our good fortune.

http://cosmic.lifeform.org

Will the Russians offer frequent flyer miles and bags of peanuts?

;-)

Rusty

Rusty wrote:
Will the Russians offer frequent flyer miles and bags of peanuts?

I suspect those are extra, but OTOH, NASA appears to be paying 1.8
million/flight over the quoted tourist rate. Maybe they upgraded to
business class ?
;-)

On 12 Jan 2006 03:08:14 -0800, "hop" wrote:

Rusty wrote:
Will the Russians offer frequent flyer miles and bags of peanuts?

I suspect those are extra, but OTOH, NASA appears to be paying 1.8
million/flight over the quoted tourist rate. Maybe they upgraded to
business class ?
;-)

Aren't they paying $43.6-million just for Williams' flights? I'm assuming
McArthur's return for free was already agreed to when they sent him up.

If my understanding is correct, NASA is paying over double the rate
offered to tourists. Maybe we'd get a better deal if we just had Paris
Hilton buy a ticket, and then reimburse her when she gets home?

Dale

Oops, never mind. It's $21.8 million per round trip, so the $43.6 million should
cover Williams and the next crewmember as well.

I should learn to read

Dale

Thomas Lee Elifritz ) wrote:
: Jim Oberg wrote:

: http://www.kommersant.com/page.asp?id=639930
:
: Kommersant: Russia and U.S. Share Space on Soyuz
: by Ivan Safronov
: // Space cooperation
:
: At the end of last week, NASA revealed the details of a deal reached at the
: end of last year on transporting American astronauts to the International
: Space Station. Under the deal, NASA will pay the Russian space agency
: Roskosmos $21.8 million for every American transported on Russian Soyuz TMA
: craft round trip. Russia fulfilled its obligations to carry American
: astronauts for free last year.
:
:

: And we all have John Denver to thank for our good fortune.

For crashing his ultralight into Monterey Bay intead of the houses of
Pacific Grove?!?

Eric

: http://cosmic.lifeform.org

Eric Chomko wrote:

Thomas Lee Elifritz ) wrote:
: Jim Oberg wrote:

: http://www.kommersant.com/page.asp?id=639930
:
: Kommersant: Russia and U.S. Share Space on Soyuz
: by Ivan Safronov
: // Space cooperation
:
: At the end of last week, NASA revealed the details of a deal reached at the
: end of last year on transporting American astronauts to the International
: Space Station. Under the deal, NASA will pay the Russian space agency
: Roskosmos $21.8 million for every American transported on Russian Soyuz TMA
: craft round trip. Russia fulfilled its obligations to carry American
: astronauts for free last year.
:
:

: And we all have John Denver to thank for our good fortune.

For crashing his ultralight into Monterey Bay intead of the houses of
Pacific Grove?!?

No, we have John Denver to thank for *inventing* space tourism and for
putting the concept of *space tourism* into the common vernacular.
Without his forward thinking, there probably wouldn't even be any space
tourism. He was years ahead of everybody. Of course, the Russians get
all the credit. They had the foresight to offer him a seat for just 10
million.

Either you are very young, very dumb, or have a very short memory. Or
perhaps you are just an armchair space enthusiast.

http://cosmic.lifeform.org

In article . com,
hop wrote:
I suspect those are extra, but OTOH, NASA appears to be paying 1.8
million/flight over the quoted tourist rate. Maybe they upgraded to
business class ? ;-)

The quoted tourist rate is a rough approximation, not an advertised list
price. There is no advertised list price; each trip gets negotiated
separately. How much you pay depends on obvious things like exactly what
you want to do, more subtle things like whether you speak Russian (and if
so, how well), and probably on how good a negotiator you've got.

The extra 1.8 million is probably the Russians' price for doing the NASA
paperwork. :-)
--
spsystems.net is temporarily off the air; | Henry Spencer
mail to henry at zoo.utoronto.ca instead. |

Henry Spencer wrote:

The extra 1.8 million is probably the Russians' price for doing the NASA
paperwork. :-)

Only $1.8 million for the NASA paperwork? Do you think they can do it for
so little because of the low wages that are paid in Russia or is it because
they found a way to automate the process? ;-)

Alain Fournier