On Friday, November 11, the head of the Russian space agency announced that NASA would order Russia to manufacture four spacecraft, while American spacecraft would remain grounded at least until May 2006.
The Director of the Russian spacecraft manufacturing plant RKK Energiya, Nikolai Sevastianov, stated: “NASA has ordered two Soyuz and two Progress spacecraft from us.”
“As the number of flights by American spacecraft continues to decrease from 28 to 17, Russia plans to transfer astronauts from the National Space Station to Soyuz spacecraft.”
At the end of October, the U.S. Congress agreed to amend a 2000 law that prohibited the use and trade of Russian space technology until Russia ceased selling nuclear technology to Iran.
For these amendments to take effect, they must be approved by the U.S. President.
On July 28, NASA decided once again to ground the remaining three spacecraft following the loss of a part from the external tank of the Discovery spacecraft shortly after its launch on July 26.
