Russia Grounds Soyuz After Rocket Crash Last Week, Humans Have No Way To ISS, ...Or Back

Bring back the shuttle for one more mission!

Actually, there is a way for astronauts/cosmonauts to come back as there are two Soyuz space craft on ISS now.

yeah they can come back, the title is misleading.

Latest buzz is that the space station may have to be abandoned if the grounding of the Soyuz rocket takes too long.

maybe they should send the shuttle back up to bring these ppl home

Pretty sure all the shuttles are not air(space)worthy at this point. Weren't all of the rocket motors and such going to be removed prior to heading off to the museums? While I think that would be a great thought, we have to accept that the shuttle is no more. :(

The problem is not with the shuttle, but with a lack of SRBs (boosters) and the ET (External Tank). There are no tanks ready to go. The production line was closed months ago and people and equipment dispersed. Even if they wanted to go, it would be a year or more (at best) before the vehicle would be ready. The start-up costs are going to be prohibitive anyway. However, converting a ULA (Atlas or Delta) rocket would be more expedient, but not without a measure of expense and time.

ULA is working with NASA to human rate the Atlas V as we speak. Who on earth knows when that will be done, though...

Who do we blame for the fact that the US Space Program has been reduced to being dependent on other countries who have not always been our friends? This president, the former president, Congress,.......?

And NASA has started tearing down the launch pad, gantry, etc. So no way can a shuttle be launched even if SRBs and a tank could found/made. It would take over a year to get a single shuttle back into operation. Most shuttles have been already stripped of thrusters and associated hypergaulic fuel tanks.

stoneyend - its probably a combination of all the above plus the current global economic situation, just my opinion. bush announced the retirement of the shuttle in 03 (to be retired after iss complete) after the loss of columbia and his admin created the constellation program. obama canceled most of the constellation program sans heavy lift rocket after it fell years behind and millions over budget (big shocker). charles bolden keeps saying we will be able to ship cargo to iss by the end of the year... i doubt that will happen.

the military likes to 3 source everything so they don't have to rely on any one availibility. now we have single sourced our ride to the space station the russians. not good HUMMMMM. this is a lack of forsite that could have been avoided.

Just like our NDB's, they are closing them out when we could have used them for a backup to our satellites.

I am wondering if a case could be made, placing the ‘blame’ on NASA? I wonder if they alienated taxpaying Americans. Hiding behind anti-terror security and (what some have classified as) an elitist attitude, the public lost the connection to the space program. Those seeking launch pass access, to the causeway, ran up against post (unrealistic) 9-11 barriers. Rejected applicants were often vocal in sharing their disappointment (distain) with NASA. When push came to shove, the public voted with their apathy, killing the space program.