Despite concerns about financial and political turmoil in Russia, American and Russian space professionals remain optimistic about continued cooperation between the two nations' space programs, including the International Space Station, a survey revealed.
"U.S./Russian Space Program Cooperation: A Risk Assessment" was the title of a survey conducted by engineering student Susan Hubacek. Forty-five people, mostly professionals involved with or interested in the American space program, answered a series of questions dealing with current and future space cooperation.
In general, the respondents strongly agreed that American-Russian space cooperation was a positive step towards realizing American manned space goals. However, they expressed concern that Russian industry would be challenged to do its part in the program.
They also expressed concern that a change in Russian leadership after this June's presidential elections would hinder future cooperation. They were only slightly less concerned that a change in American leadership after the November elections would similarly hinder cooperation.
Those surveyed had mixed feelings whether international cooperation would result in fewer jobs in the American aerospace industry. One answer shared a sentiment expressed by many: "If the question becomes international cooperation or no international space station, then you send some jobs overseas in order to preserve the industry at home. Send the Russians a piece of the pie or there is no pie at all."
The survey was conducted among members of the Friends and Partners in Space (FPSPACE) electronic mailing list. Hubacek plans to follow up this survey with another similar survey directed at a larger audience. She can be contacted for more information at mir@ix.netcom.com.
The heads of the American and French space agencies met in late April to consider the development of a new European-American manned space vehicle that would use the Ariane 5 rocket, officials reported.
NASA administrator Dan Goldin and CNES president Alain Bensoussan met in late April to discuss plans for possible cooperation on the development of a new manned spacecraft and set into motion studies to look at the feasibility of such a project. The studies are to be completed by late June.
Bensoussan, an advocate of manned space exploration, believes that cooperation is an inherent part of future space plans. "Everyone considers that it is an international venture, no longer a superpower conflict," he said.
Europe had proposed developing its own manned spacecraft, the Hermes, in the 1980s. The Hermes would have been a scaled-down version of the American space shuttle that used the Ariane 5 to get into orbit. The project was canceled several years ago due to the high price tag and disagreements over the scientific value of the spacecraft.
Kern County, California, north of Los Angeles, has pledged up to $700,000 in road and site improvements in order to bring work on the X-33 reusable launch vehicle test program to Edwards Air Force Base.
In an article in the May 6 issue of the Los Angeles Daily News, county officials have pledged $200,000 for road improvements and $500,000 for site preparations in order to bring the X-33 project to Edwards.
County officials are providing the support in order to lure the project and its estimated 1,000 jobs to the region, boosting the sagging aerospace business in the area. A commercial outgrowth of the X-33 might provide several hundred long-term jobs to the area as well.
The proposed improvements are an additional incentive to lure the X-33 to California. Last month, state assemblyman and former X-15 test pilot William "Pete" Knight introduced legislation that would provide tax credits of up to 1.5 percent to aerospace companies in California doing business to NASA and the Defense Department.
In addition to California, New Mexico and Florida are seeking the X-33 test site. According to the Daily News article, New Mexico officials are paying for environmental studies at the proposed test site there while Florida officials have offered to issue bonds to pay for the construction of a test facility.
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