So what will it cost us to get American astronauts to the $100 billion ISS in the future? NASA has negotiated a rate of $43 million to $63 million per astronaut on a Russian Soyuz capsule after buying about 46 seats through 2016 when the first U.S. commercial craft are expected to be available. Given that a Shuttle launch is estimated to cost from $450 million to $1.5 billion apiece (there are many calculations out there depending on what you throw in the cost bucket), this is quite a deal for now. For example, the last Atlantis mission carries only four astronauts, which works out to $112.5 million to $375 million per seat. Of course, this does not include the cost of the Shuttle's primary purpose - lifting non-human payload into space. That said, considering that the cost of the entire Russian space program is estimated to be only $2 billion per year, maybe the Russians are onto something in these dire days of government funding.
And speaking of funding, for those who thought that less money on human travel might loosen funds for more non-human missions, the James Webb space telescope offers an example of how funds may not be flowing elsewhere in NASA. The House of Representatives would like to cease funding of this $6.5 project due to cost overruns, even though billions have already been spent to date and nothing else is on the drawing board to replace the Hubble telescope when it reaches its endpoint. Without a Shuttle to keep the Hubble in running order, NASA may soon lack a space telescope should the Jame Webb get knocked out of orbit on the Hill. Unlike the Hubble, the James Webb space telescope will operate in an orbit outside the Earth's atmosphere, thereby offering a more accurate view of the cosmos. If the President is serious about partnerships he should understand that a number of nations have money running on the James Webb telescope.
Hitching rides with the Russians and now no Hubble replacement. This is not where we need to be if we plan to be a leader in space exploration.