"There are no technical questions. As for political questions,
NASA's administration today is resolving them in a positive
manner."
Source: Russian space agency chief Anatoly
Perminov, discussing the diplomatic hassles surrounding the planned
April 2006 return of US Astronaut William McArthur after six months
aboard the ISS. Due to a continuing funding disagreement between
the US and Russia over the latter country's funding of Iranian
nuclear experiments, it is currently against a 2000
Congressional law for the US to pay Russia to bring
McArthur back home aboard a Soyuz capsule-- and the space shuttle
is not expected to be ready by then.
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