Cost of U.S. Astronauts' Ride on Russian Rockets Soars

By AP

April 8, 2010

WASHINGTON — The price for U.S. 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 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.

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