COLORADOSPRINGS, COLORADO European partners in the U.S.-led International SpaceStation program (ISS) continue to express concern regarding American actionsabout crew size onboard the facility and waylaying final construction of theorbiting outpost.

NASAof late has been caught in a financial and managerial crunch in going forwardwith the ultra-expensive mega-project. Those problems now portend to reduce theoverall effectiveness and research utility of the ISS, much to the chagrin ofnon-U.S. partners.

Asspace plane Atlantis docked with the ISS overhead in space, here at the 18^thNational Space Symposium, discussion of the project is grounded in worry aboutthe future of the 16-nation endeavor.

Consensusview

TheISS is not a U.S. program. It is not a U.S./Russian program. It is aninternational program, said Ian Pryke, head of the Washington, D.C. office forthe European Space Agency (ESA).

Prykesaid that the ISS partnership is concerned about recent U.S. decisions thathave been taken unilaterally. Those judgments involve keeping the ISS crew tothree, as well as forestalling the end-state of the effort, considered by theinternational team of nations as being assembly complete, he said.

Weunderstand that the situation has been created by financial and managementproblems in the U.S. portion of the program. We also recognize that the U.S. isthe largest financial contributor to the program. However, the programsdecision mechanisms are not structured in terms of each partner having aweighted vote according to its contribution, ESAs Pryke said.

Thatbeing the case, Pryke added, the ISS project is based on consensus as to howthe project should proceed.

Werealso deeply concerned that due to the prominent role of the U.S. in theprogram, U.S. problems have a significant potential to impact other non-U.S.partners, Pryke said.

Bothsides of the pond

Weunderstand perfectly the difficulties that NASA faces, but for us, asEuropeans, the end goal is to have a crew of six or seven to work on thestation. Its obvious. So we hope that, eventually, there will be anunderstanding on this in the coming weeks, said Serge Plattard, Director forInternational Relations of CNES, the French space agency.

Inlooking at the ISS, and other space projects, Gilles Maquet, Vice President,Space Systems Division of EADS a major European aerospace industrial power said that Europe considers the U.S. more its eldest brother, not our father.

Maquetsaid that Europe wants to stay in the family and not pull out. There is needfor closer ties between both sides of the Atlantic, he said.

Wanted:acceptable solutions

ESAsPryke said that ISS is viewed as an important element of overall European spacepolicy.

Europehas indicated its willingness to work with the U.S. to develop acceptablesolutions to deal with its problems. But we expect that any end-state of theprogram was always assembly complete. Now you hear various discussions aboutwhat the end-state of the program might be, Pryke said.

ForEurope, a core complete status for the ISS -- with just a three-person crewfor the foreseeable future is an absolute non-starter, Pryke said. TheESA-developed Columbus laboratory and payload facilities should be lofted onthe currently agreed schedule, he said, and that means October of 2004.

Wealso expect significant ESA astronaut flight opportunities, both as visitingand expedition crew, Pryke said.

Clearmessage

Ona positive note, Pryke said that in recent months NASA has developed a planthat has led to increased non-U.S. partner involvement and insight intoresolution of the current ISS woes sooner rather than later.

ButESAs overall message to the U.S. is clear.

Europeis concerned that the current approach to defining an end-state for the ISS isnot consistent with sound utilization of the orbiting complex and will notjustify Europes investment in the project, Pryke said.

Asleader of the program, it is important that the U.S. demonstrate solidcommitment to the program as it was conceived by the partnership, Prykeconcluded.