5 thoughts on “The Russians Hold The Trump Card”

  2. Our obvious job is to construct our own trump card. Fortunately, SpaceX has already done so and the tarp is scheduled to be peeled back a week from Thursday. Get Americans flying to ISS on American vehicles again, build all-American replacements for the current Russian critical capabilities, then inform them that their lease is up in 2020.

    1. @ Dick Eagleson;

      Sorry, but what you propose is impossible, for it would require sentient decisions of at least kindergarten level from the white house and congress…..

      1. A few months ago I would have wearily agreed with you. Russia having seriously stirred the pot in the interim – and with additional developments such as the Orbital-ATX merger – things look quite a bit different to me now. Different better!

        1. I very much hope that you are right and I am wrong.

          Yes, things are very different. Glaringly so. But, they are still about to make a colossal, glaringly obvious, error and downselect to one (no matter which one), so why wouldn’t they compound it by making that one a does-not-yet-exist capsule that has major LV availability issues and won’t be able to perform even its first unmanned orbital test flight until late 2017 (more likely 2018, with manned capability coming late 2018 or sometime in 2019).

          Remember, we’re talking about members of congress here, not sentient people. Remember the congresscritter who questioned a Navy admiral, during hearings, as to whether or not Guam would capsize if they increased the number of personnel on the base?
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNZczIgVXjg

          Or regarding space… how about a member of congress representing Houston, of all places, questioning a JPL employer whether Mars Pathfinder had taken a photo of the flag Neil Armstrong planted on Mars? (Never have the words, “Houston, we have a problem!” been more appropriate).

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