The Japanese Experiment Module Kibo is now on orbit and installed onto the ISS and activated. Congratulations Japan and their newest astronaut, Aki Hoshide! My good friend Koichi Wakata will be flying the first Japanese long duration flight early next year. Enthusiasm there is very high.
What is the future of government space? China will launch the Shenzhou 7 mission later this year (probably October), after the Olympics. The US will retire the Shuttle in 2010. What will become of the Constellation program and Orion after the elections in November? Countries like Japan and the members of ESA are totally dependent on US and Russian assets for manned access to space. After 2010, the Russians will be the only government game in town, except for China, which has so far been rebuffed in their desire to be an ISS partner.
What does the future hold?
Leroy Chiao
Devon Island Expedition
This blog features educational updates on my Devon Island Expedition of July 14-20, 2007. Other sites: spaceref.com/blogs/earthclassroom, www.marsonearth.org
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
All other politics aside, I believe that an Obama presidency would devastate the US space program.
Obama, by implying he's pro-space because he "grew up a Trekkie" was insulting on so many levels.
He has already promised to not fund Constellation, instead using those monies for a pre-school program. If that happens, PC won't be funded until AT LEAST 2015, and we won't be ready to launch until 2020.
Since the shuttle program ends in 2010, that's TEN YEARS of relying on the Russians (or Chinese, perhaps) to get us to space.
As an aside, I think US science and math scores, already in the toilet, will further plummet by not having adequate funding for a space program.
Just my $.02.
Post a Comment