The ISS wouldn't exist without Russia. When the capital development of a country becomes a by-product of the activities of a casino, the job is likely to be ill-done. — John M. Keynes
True enough! And Bush plans on retiring the Space Shuttle in 2010, when the ISS is complete. Perhaps they will quietly "mothball" them. The Orion replacement is not due till 2015. I saw that an administration official noted that the ESA cargo module could be upgraded to deliver people. What we have always liked about Russian technology was that it was cheap and relatively reliable. We built hot rods like Atlas. They built "the big, dumb booster."
However, it doesn't look like they are planning on using the ISS as a weapons platform without a US controlled means of accessing it. As the Dutch said while fighting the Spanish: "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
