Talks on International Space Crew Begin
Posted on: Thursday, 27 February 2003, 06:00 CST
WASHINGTON (AP) - With space shuttle flights on hold because of the Columbia disaster, negotiations are under way with Russia to use Soyuz spacecraft to bring home and replace the crew aboard the international space station, NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe said Thursday.
Under the plan being considered, O'Keefe said, a Soyuz spacecraft from Asia would carry an American astronaut and Russian cosmonaut to the space station. They would occupy the station while the three crewmen now on board would return to earth on another Soyuz craft, which is now attached to the space station.
O'Keefe made the remarks in prepared testimony to the House Science Committee.
Rep. Nick Lampson, D-Texas, introduced legislation Thursday that would allow NASA to help Russia purchase additional Soyuz and Progress spacecraft if President Bush notifies Congress that the vehicles are needed to ensure the safety of the crew aboard the space station.
The Feb. 1 Columbia space shuttle accident, which killed the seven astronauts, forced NASA to ground the entire shuttle fleet. The shuttle is used to ferry astronauts from Earth to the space station, and a crew change-out flight had been scheduled for April. That flight is indefinitely suspended until the Columbia accident investigation is completed.
"It is clear we are now very dependent on the Russian space program as a sole means of support for the space station until the shuttle fleet returns to service," Lampson said.
Lampson's bill would exempt NASA from the Iran Nonproliferation Act of 2000, which forbids payments to Russia. The proposed legislation would allow NASA to make such payments to cover the cost of additional spacecraft.
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