Posted
7/30/2005 05:57:00 PM
by Douglas
Not bloody likely. It goes without saying that the USA's image will be considerably damaged, if NASA shuts down the shuttle program and starts buying spaceships from Russia. The myth about the ultimate predominance of American technologies would be destroyed in this case. On the other hand, the Russian space industry would receive a powerful impetus for its development: the profit would most likely be used for another technological breakthrough in the field of space exploration. Washington will have to solve a very serious problem in the nearest future: is the USA ready to put the lives of seven astronauts at risk just to keep the illusion of its technological supremacy?
How could we possibly lose our technological superiority when we've still got the all-you-can eat buffet, realistic Christina Aguilera ring-tones for our phones, and talking refrigerator alarms?