WEDNESDAY, MARCH 010 Rete : | This pull-out is produced and published by Rossiyskaya Gazeta (Russia) Soe Ond did not involve the news or editorial depar iments of The Washington PostExploration American astronauts are hitching a ride with the Russian space program Russia makes space for U.S. ‘While Russia burns with ambition again, the United ‘States has grown ‘ambivalent about space ‘exploration. femora ‘On Apri 2, new Soyuz crew member; tuo Russansand one ‘American, are scheduled to launch fom the Baikonur Cos- ‘modrome in Kazakstan. Cir- cling the planet, the crew il engage in intense cooperation unknown on the ground. Down on earth, Russian- “American space cooperation has increased, but tere is aso Luneateas the power oftheplay- es i siting. Russa vil fuel space exploration once again, wile the U.S. vision appears dampened. ‘Ameria is relying more and more on the Russian federal space program for key assls- tance, As the United States re- prioritizes its programs, the country will rely on Russia to take its astronauts into space. NASA has long spent more money on more programs than Russa’ space agency. But Pres- ident Barack Obama has ashe NASAS dreams of going to the ‘moon again. Balding new space- craft for the exploration of Mars i again a fight of fancy. ‘At the same time, the Ruse ‘San space industyisfeeing the ‘warm glow of state backing ‘once again, There has Been con certed investment if recent years, an investment that fs ‘well with the Putin doctrine of tying to restore Russian pride through capacity "And while bath counties fee they are the font une, their dominance could be challenged Inthe next decade by india and China as they fund their own programs. “The Russian goverment has Increased spending onthe space Industry bya remarkable 40 per cent for each of the past five years, spending $2.8 billon in 72008, Furoconsult reported “ike ight and day,” said Igor Lissoy, editor of News of Cosmonauts (Novest Kosmo- ravtk), comparing funding today with funding in the pe- rurious 1990. President Putin launched an inital $10 bilion program for the space industry between 2006 and 2015. When Putin Congratulated space industry workers in 2008 on Cosmo- raul Day (Apri 12), he called ‘on them to pursue *ealy ar bous projects.” The U.S. Constellation hu- ran ight program that Obama has all but abandoned was de- signed, according to President George W. Bush, to “establish an extended human presence ‘on the Moon” that would then lead to fights to Mars. Obarra cat tfrom the 2011 budget as the effects of the nancial rss ‘antinueto be fet and program expenditure soared. The gov- ements that though NASA has already spent $9 bilion on tthe program is “fundamen: tally unexecutable.” Instead, America wil ook to private companies to invest in ‘utue spacecraft In the mean time, US astronauts wil hitch lift on Russian spacecraft, a ‘move that has NASA support- ‘es crying foul Tn thewake orecentertism, ‘Obama announced he willrmake a vit to Cape Canaveral, Fa., thehomeof NASA, n Apa. Rus- san and Amescan space watch- fers wonder If this may herald another poly shift For now, the United States | wi rely solely on the Russian Space program asthe US. Shut the retires from service. No pk ‘ate companies have so far se- ‘cared investment for spacerat, $0 this arangement wil kely Continue for much longer. Russian academic Yury Zait sev tod Interfax news agency that he thought the United States would be dependent on Rusia to wanspostlis astronauts ntl atleast 2020. “irvorder to bring a craft tothe standards of quality and safety fora piloted Sore yourent yey Nasa assigned a $306 mi ion contract with the Russian. Federal Space Agency Rosco tos) for US. astronauts 10 fy qo the inerational Space Sta ‘on in 2012. ‘witli shard for sore to get used to the power shits, diner suppor the ne st fof cooperation, a far ry from the start ofthe space race when thew fights and feats in space ‘ere spurres by Cold War fear Sond one-upmanship as well as Sclentf endeavor. ‘enNEDONPAGESGBrnnueoraomPAses ‘When the Soviet Union put the fist satelite in space in 1957, followed by the first ‘man in space, Yuri Gagarin in 1961, itsent a shock wave through American society. “The space conquests of the U.S.S.R. pushed the United States to greater feats in space, such as the first man on the ‘moon in 1969. Cosmonauts! Day on April 12, the day of Gagatin’s first fight, is stl celebrated in Rus- sia, and last year Gagarin was chosen as the hero ofthe 20th Century, The 50th anniversary of the fight will be celebrated in 2011, and the year hasbeen Fenamed the year ofthe Rus- slan cosmonaut. “The abandonment of the U.S. Constellation manned flight program has led to a ‘great disappointment, pati. lay Russia twas the Con-- stellation program that com pelled the Russian government to plan for a new rocket and new space- craft in the-first place. At the time, that was even consid- red a lame response to the Constellation program. “There was a sense that Cor stelation could have'been an other opportunity for inte: tional: cooperation. “It was mays one of biggest mistakes otto make the projec inter- national,” sai Lissov. “Then Fe wiould have been harder to close." oo ‘Raise, too, must strategize its space agenda rather than burn with difuse ambi- tion, "Russia aso needs to re- thinkits priorities,” said Valery abuso aformer deputy head of Energiy, Russia’ rocket and space corporation. "We have to have a clear idea of the aims,” said Kabus- fv. " think we have to work fot and think about the ides of further planned manned flight in space.” “The.closing down. of Con, stallation comes as Rusia and the United States are wary of China and India, who have ‘been pouring money into their ‘own space programs. The Chi. nese made a third launch of Its Shenzhou Vilspacecrat and also their frst spacewalk in 2008, wil Inca is planning ‘a manned fight by 2014, “We are alittle envious of China" said Ussov. "They have a very'aceurate program and ‘ean go fa” ‘Some astronauts and cos- monauts suggest the kind of, international cooperation found in the space station is the only way to keep the vi- sion for space exploration moving forward. What if all Sspace-exploring countries got together to send a human- flight to Mars? ‘Cosmonaut Alexander Sere- bev flew into space three times forthe Soviet Union and once for Russia. “I have ‘thought al my fe that fight ‘to Mars sa great opportunity forhumankind to move for- ‘ward. You can't stop progress. “Thats impossible,” said Sere- brov. “It has to be done through international cooper- ation”