Interesting article Delbert,
Another lesson for Europe to learn perhaps. I'm glad we have allies willing to come together in a international peaceful space enterprise. It's to bad ISS has come to the dismal out look of module cutbacks and CRV alterations which damper relations.

As an American I can only say, sorry our politics got in the way "unilaterally" of the initial ISS development plans.

If ISS is to be of the grand endeavor once perceived and so wanted by Europe and the partners, then commitment to future construction projects need to be revaluated and distributed to the various partners to take the burden off the US. This means that the partners should be able to cover the cost of such projects and deployment on there own without bartering. At the same time we need to reevaluate partner interest and control of space time on ISS on a more equal basis, based on cost involvement of construction projects. This would only be fair among true "brothers" and ensure an equal vote of ISS "decision mechanisms".

The delay of node 2 and the Columbus module is minimal to ESA. I understand there concerns for 10/04 launch of Columbus and addition astronaut capacities to fulfill there commercial interest for lab customers but they are currently lacking customers for full capacity at this stage anyway.

We need a brother to build and deploy a CRV. "Build it and they will come".

SteveS