Sadly this is what I’ve always feared. Once we stop flying it will be very difficult to get back up flying again. I think we will have to be scared into it by the Chinese, or a more militant Russia.

I find it hard to believe that the next President, congress or the American public will stand still for us turning the ISS over to the Russians, Europe, and Japan without us having any say in it’s use. It seems conceivable, though, that once we have no access through our own resources, the Russians could deny us access through them. I don’t think the Russian Space agency would go for it, but if we have more conflict with the Russian government it could get difficult.