NASA extended a contract with Russia to transport astronauts

Aviation Administration and Space Administration (NASA said, on Wednesday, it extended a contract with Russia to transport astronauts to the International Space Station because budget cuts have led to the postponement of a US commercial alternative.

President of NASA wrote, Charles Bolden, in a letter to Congress that the extension of the contract with Russia until 2017 would cost the United States about $ 490 million.

The contract extension comes - who let loose under which American taxpayers to Moscow more than $ 80 million in exchange for a seat to a leading American space on board the Soyuz space rocket at a time when Washington stresses the sanctions against Russia in response to its actions in Ukraine.

Bolden said: "It is regrettable that for the five years so far Congress has not funded adequately commercial space program for the crews to re-launch manned space flight to the US land operations this year as planned."

He added: "This has resulted in a continuous sole dependence on Russian Soyuz vehicles as a means to transfer Otqmna of American pioneers and international crews partner."

And it referred the NASA space vehicles for retirement in 2011, and share with my company SpaceX and Boeing to develop two special spacecraft to transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station, a research plant costing $ 100 billion and soar above the earth at an altitude of about 402 kilometers.

Bolden said NASA had hoped to begin US flights by 2017, but the budget proposals in both the House and Senate for the fiscal year which begins on the first of October will reduce NASA's commercial program for the crews of space, resulting in likely additional delays and higher costs.

NASA said The message of Bolden  was sent to the heads of congressional committees overseeing the US space agency.