Russia raises price tag for giving US astronauts rides to space

Not strictly Astronomy but this was always bound to happen

WASHINGTON - The price for American astronauts to hitch a ride on a Russian spaceship is going sky high.

NASA on Tuesday signed a contract to pay $55.8 million per astronaut for six Americans to fly into space on Russian Soyuz capsules in 2013 and 2014. NASA needs to get rides on Russian rockets to the International Space Station because it plans to retire the space shuttle fleet later this year.

NASA now pays half as much, about $26.3 million per astronaut, when it uses Russian ships. NASA spokesman John Yembrick said the cost is going up because Russia has to build more capsules for the extra flights. NASA had already agreed to pay as much as $51 million a seat for flights in 2011 and 2012, before the latest increase.

OMG!!!! i wonder how much it is to have/develop a new reusable craft....sounds an extortionate amount for 1 person

i cant understand why they build the space station and have none of their own craft to service it. :unsure:

Mick the constellation programme was going to service the ISS but Obama has mothballed it