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Posted by tourdemars to General News at May 13, 2004 12:42 PM
Russia's space agency is seeking to join the European space agency (ESA) but only as an equal member, its director Anatoly Perminov told ITAR-TASS. He said the issue had been recently discussed with the ESA director Jean-Jacques Dordain. But the discussions dealt with Russia joining as no more than an associate, a status that would give it less power than other nations in the European space alliance.TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.marsnews.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/514
Zach: It seems like Russia is leveraging the fact that it has a solidly running space program with it's soyuz rocket.
Other news of interest is from the Russian news site
http://en.rian.ru/rian/index.cfm?prd_id=160&msg_id=4309392&startrow=1&find=space
RUSSIA AND U.S. TO SET UP JOINT LUNAR STATION?
Russia and the United States are pondering the possibility of creating a joint station on the Moon. Anatoli Perminov, head of the Russian Federal Space Agency, said he has discussed the question with Sean O'Keefe, head of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
"At our last meeting in Moscow, Sean O'Kefe asked us to join the lunar research and development programme", Perninov said. "Building a joint lunar station is also possible".
Asked about the form of Russia's possible participation in the joint lunar programme, the FSA said: "We'd like to join as far as our technologies are concerned. But, so far, only a research proposal has been voiced".
This no cash approach by the Russians seems to me at least to be like a backlass from not paying for the soyuz's for American transport to the ISS, to the current scaling back of construction of the ISS and for the reduced or none existent shuttle flights at this time needed for both items.
If this is can be put behind both space partners. I feel that the Russians have a lot to offer.
Posted by: Harold LaValley at May 14, 2004 04:13 AM
Harold, yes indeed, it certainly does seem that way. I don't know if you have heard, but they are also devleoping a space tug and likely joining the ESA. Russia's future is space is very bright indeed. They have the rockets we need to eascape LEO they just don't have the funds to build them. If we could work something out with Russia, it would go a long way to legitimising our Vision For Space Exploration.
Posted by: Zach at May 14, 2004 06:51 AM