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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. |
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Kommersant: Russia and U.S. Share Space on Soyuz
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 |
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Kommersant: Russia and U.S. Share Space on Soyuz
Will the Russians offer frequent flyer miles and bags of peanuts?
;-) Rusty |
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Kommersant: Russia and U.S. Share Space on Soyuz
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 ? ;-) |
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Kommersant: Russia and U.S. Share Space on Soyuz
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 |
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Kommersant: Russia and U.S. Share Space on Soyuz
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 |
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Kommersant: Russia and U.S. Share Space on Soyuz
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. | |
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Kommersant: Russia and U.S. Share Space on Soyuz
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 |
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Kommersant: Russia and U.S. Share Space on Soyuz
In message . com
"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. For one you may well be losing on the exchange rate, and secondly the tourist flights so far all involve the third seat. The crew exchanges will occupy the second seat which means they have to be fully trained as a Soyuz Flight Engineer which is going to cost more. Anthony |
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Kommersant: Russia and U.S. Share Space on Soyuz
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