WASHINGTON, March 16 (States
News Service) -- Growing discouraged by Russia's shortfalls on the International
Space Station (ISS), Congress accused NASA of sacrificing mission safety to keep
Moscow involved Thursday.
"It's clear that NASA is
lowering safety standards in order to allow Russia to participate," said Rep.
Dana Rohrabacher (R-California), chair of the Science Subcommittee on Space and
Aeronautics in response to testimony about the ISS.
Perhaps the most threatening
idea yet came from Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), who suggested buying the Russian
space program.
"It's peanuts to us," Barton
said. "We wouldn't have to worry about it."
Lawmakers' doubts in Russia were
fueled by the testimony of Allen Li, associate director of National Security and
International Affairs with the U.S. General Accounting Office, a watchdog
agency.
Li said although most of
Russia's parts for the ISS comply with safety requirements, Russia's Zarya
service module has not met standards excessive noise levels, does not have
adequate shielding from orbital debris and lacks the ability to operate after
losing cabin pressure.
"High noise levels could affect
operations if crew members have difficulty in communicating with each other or
with ground controllers," Li said.
While Li said the Russians could
be improving these problems "as we speak," the module can't launch until NASA
approves all the problems.
"NASA must close all hazard
reports and approve all noncompliance before it can approve the launch of the
service module," he said.
Particularly bothersome to the
subcommittee was that Li said NASA had waived the noise level requirements to
let Russia move forward with the module.
The panel also grilled Joseph
Rothenberg; NASA associate administrator for Human Space Flight, and Henry
McDonald, director of the NASA Ames Center, to explain 33 cited cases of
problems identified in the shuttle fleet.
"Do we have a breakdown here?"
Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tennessee) said. "Are we going to say we are going to accept
a certain level" of safety hazards on the shuttle?
Rothenberg defended the shuttle
as having fewer -- and less critical -- safety problems now than in the early
1990s. But he conceded the shuttle was experiencing problems that should have
been caught earlier.
"We thought we got to it a month
ago, and apparently didn't" he said.
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