ytrewq wrote:
[...]

Congress passed law that says no russia unless certified that russia not
helping neuc wannabe's.
Russia cannot be certified.
What a mess.......
http://economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=3738886
 HERE'S a wizard idea. Spend $40 billion building a big tin can in orbit
round the Earth, in order-at least in part-to keep the rocket scientists of
your former enemy from going to work for your current enemies. Then find
that a law intended to stop the current enemies getting their hands on such
rocket scientists' knowledge means you can no longer use this expensive tin
can. Confused? You are not the only one. Because that, in a nutshell, is

Politics aside, a more telling comment is:

"The question is just what NASA is for. Sherwood Boehlert, the chairman of the House science committee, has cautioned it against becoming a single-mission agency by viewing everything through a lens of manned exploration and putting science second."


The ISS and SST are taking a frightening amount of NASA's funding. Science and the new technology to support new science are very much in the shadows for funds...

Regards,
Martin