# Russia warns NASA & Obama administration **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 12, 2014, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-warns-nasa-obama-administration/683502 "2014-03-12T02:23:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-warns-nasa-obama-administration/683502/1 "2014-03-12T02:23:58Z")
Had dinner today with a long-time NASA Langley employee who made an interesting comment re Russia & Ukraine. It seems that Russia has clearly indicated that the availability and cost of future transport to the ISS will depend on the US response to what is happening in Ukraine. Russia has made it clear that a reasonably tame US reaction is expected; anything else is likely to yield “unfortunate” results. They believe the US is not in a position to bear the consequences of offending Russia. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-warns-nasa-obama-administration/683502/2 "2014-03-12T02:29:46Z")
Predicated, of course, on the assumption that the current administration gives a particular shit about NASA. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-warns-nasa-obama-administration/683502/3 "2014-03-12T02:34:20Z")
Sure, threaten the astronauts. Stay classy Russia. Putin is desperate, and sees the writing on the wall. Europe doesn’t feel comfortable with Russian oil, and the US is actively encouraging private manned space launch capability. The world just doesn’t need Russia, and by being dicks they’re just accelerating their own irrelevance. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-warns-nasa-obama-administration/683502/4 "2014-03-12T04:12:00Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > It seems that Russia has clearly indicated that the availability and cost of future transport to the ISS will depend on the US response to what is happening in Ukraine. Well, shit on a stick, we may as well just surrender now. //rolleyes// I mean, really…banning us from the I.S.S.? Really??? ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-warns-nasa-obama-administration/683502/5 "2014-03-12T05:19:37Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > Well, shit on a stick, we may as well just surrender now. //rolleyes// > > I mean, really…banning us from the I.S.S.? Really??? Not banning exactly, but the price of launches to send astronauts up could become very expensive. Price of doing business , when you shut down your own operations and outsource. Declan ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-warns-nasa-obama-administration/683502/6 "2014-03-12T09:42:52Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > Had dinner today with a long-time NASA Langley employee who made an interesting comment re Russia & Ukraine. It seems that Russia has clearly indicated that the availability and cost of future transport to the ISS will depend on the US response to what is happening in Ukraine. Good thing there’s ESA’s Ariane and SpaceX’s Falcon. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-warns-nasa-obama-administration/683502/7 "2014-03-12T10:45:59Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > Sure, threaten the astronauts. Stay classy Russia. > > Putin is desperate, and sees the writing on the wall. Europe doesn’t feel comfortable with Russian oil, and the US is actively encouraging private manned space launch capability. The world just doesn’t need Russia, and by being dicks they’re just accelerating their own irrelevance. I think you are a bit confused. Russia didn’t ‘threaten the astronauts.’ Obama isn’t doing a good thing…he screwed up on the Syria thing, and is trying to save face and thinking that Russia will not call his bluff. He is overestimating his own importance, and Russian patience with US adventuring. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-warns-nasa-obama-administration/683502/8 "2014-03-12T12:27:11Z")
(Makes note not to regard anything **handsomeharry** says in the future with any seriousness.) ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-warns-nasa-obama-administration/683502/9 "2014-03-12T12:51:54Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > Obama isn’t doing a good thing…he screwed up on the Syria thing… Like there was a less screwed up alternative outcome… ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-warns-nasa-obama-administration/683502/10 "2014-03-13T04:21:51Z")
Russia can not run the ISS without the US. Russia can not and will not ban us. Have you heard this on the NEWS or just a friend of friend? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Vorlon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@The\_Vorlon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Vorlon)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-warns-nasa-obama-administration/683502/11 "2014-03-13T16:45:06Z")
I wonder how long it will take Musk’s Minions to bolt a set of seats in the Dragon? Bigger problem is the Atlas V and Delta IV use their powerplants. I really doubt that the Delta IV is getting man-rated, who would want to go up in a booster that regularly sets it’s ass end on fire? ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-warns-nasa-obama-administration/683502/12 "2014-04-13T17:17:30Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > (Makes note not to regard anything **handsomeharry** says in the future with any seriousness.) (Makes note to weep uncontrollably.) ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-warns-nasa-obama-administration/683502/13 "2014-04-13T17:18:34Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Like there was a less screwed up alternative outcome… Well, I was thinking that minding one’s own business as a nation was a pretty good one… ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-warns-nasa-obama-administration/683502/14 "2014-04-13T17:24:57Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > I mean, really…banning us from the I.S.S.? Really??? Well, collectively we were the dumbf\*\*\*s who gave up our manned launch capability by retiring the shuttle without a replacement. This sort of ultimatum was virtually inevitable. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-warns-nasa-obama-administration/683502/15 "2014-04-13T17:27:33Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Russia can not run the ISS without the US. Russia can not and will not ban us. And what makes you think that Russia can’t run a space station without the US? Are you serious? Have you ever heard of _Mir?_ We were stupid enough to give up our ability to get people up and down from orbit on our own. We’re reaping what we sowed. American dominance in space is a thing of the past due to our government’s shortsightedness and penny-wise-pound-foolish approach to budgeting and planning. The only thing I find amazing is that anyone is surprised by this. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-warns-nasa-obama-administration/683502/16 "2014-04-13T17:31:18Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > And what makes you think that Russia can’t run a space station without the US? Are you serious? Have you ever heard of _Mir?_ > … They don’t have the money. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-warns-nasa-obama-administration/683502/17 "2014-04-13T18:33:21Z")
Well, the recent Mars rover Curiosity landing was a huge success the Russians can only dream about. The US Air Force also has the X-37B up setting endurance records. I’d say the US is still dominant in space. Sucks we don’t have manned space flight capability but hopefully soon private space firms will be able to handle that. Who knew Russia was going to go all Cold War invasion? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-warns-nasa-obama-administration/683502/18 "2014-04-13T19:02:53Z")
I am pretty sure the U.S. withdrew from a couple of research/scientific projects as part of the “sanctions” so this isn’t like the Russians are doing this out of the blue. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-warns-nasa-obama-administration/683502/19 "2014-04-13T19:13:49Z")
Russia needs to think long-term though. They can jack up their prices right now, just like they’re jacking up fuel prices to Ukraine, but that’s very short-term. Soon US space launch firms will bring the cost of launches down below Russian prices and then what are they going to do? Payback is a bitch, isn’t it? We’re not going to forget the price gouging. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-warns-nasa-obama-administration/683502/20 "2014-04-13T19:22:30Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > I think you are a bit confused. Russia didn’t ‘threaten the astronauts.’ > > Obama isn’t doing a good thing…he screwed up on the Syria thing, and is trying to save face and thinking that Russia will not call his bluff. He is overestimating his own importance, and Russian patience with US adventuring. The US remains the most powerful nation on Earth. It’s difficult to “overestimate” that. Russia, on the other hand, now has a smaller population than the US and that population experiences a lower life expectancy. Coupled with the fact resources are now Russia major export (not a sustainable model for a major world power) it is difficult to overestimate Russia’s capabilities to do very much beyond its own borders and those of its non-NATO neighbors. Anyway, so Russia might charge more to allow US astronauts to go to the I.S.S. Technically the US could build its own space station or simply restart its own manned space program at any time. This would cut the Russians out of the picture and cost them desperately needed foreign currency. Or the US could simply pay the extra amount and laugh at Russia’s pathetic attempts to remain relevant. Not seeing a major issue in this for the US. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-warns-nasa-obama-administration/683502.md?page=2)