Will Growing Russian/American Tension Affect ISS?

US, allies weigh punishment for Russia, AP

“Scrambling to find ways to punish Russia for its invasion of pro-Western Georgia, the United States and its allies are considering expelling Moscow from an exclusive club of wealthy nations and canceling an upcoming joint NATO-Russia military exercise, Bush administration officials said Tuesday.”

Russia May Turn Focus to Pro-U.S. Ukraine After Beating Georgia, Bloomberg

“Now that Russia has humiliated Georgia with a punishing military offensive, it may shift its attention to reining in pro-Western Ukraine, another American ally in the former Soviet Union.”

Russian invasion threatens the Space Station, Orlando Sentinel

“U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., acknowledged Tuesday that Russias five-day invasion of the Georgian province of South Ossetia makes it extremely unlikely that Congress will vote to exempt the Russian-built Soyuz capsule from a law that bans trade with nations that sell nuclear material to Iran. NASA had been counting on the waiver to enable it to continue carrying people and cargo to the space station after the space shuttle is retired in 2010. The Soyuz is NASAs only proven alternative to get to the station.”

Editor’s note: Right now Russians outnumber Americans on ISS – but wait, one of the “Russians” (the ISS Commander) was actually born in the Ukraine … things could get complicated if Ukraine continues to openly side with Georgia and all of the political tension spills into how the ISS program is run …