This latest exercise, like all those before, resulted in nothing and with the space project slipping further and further into the 21st century. And while Goldin flatly refused to either accept or reject the recent Chabrow report on the station's cost woes, he did admit that "a new relationship" may be in order for the Russians' participation in the oft-delayed station.

NASA also confirmed Wednesday that the Russian government has failed to pay its space workers for the months of April and May, and that the central government was more than $340 million behind in station payments needed to complete the critical Service Module. Once planned for launch to orbit in December, 1998, the module is now more than three months behind schedule.

With the prospects that a U.S. Navy rocket stage will be substituted for either the Service Module, or Russian resupply rockets (NASA has now "discovered" a shortage of the Progress tankers that will be needed to reboost the station once it's aloft), Goldin told the Hill Wednesday that he was again delaying the final decision over the Module from mid-May until July.

The politicos huffed and puffed, but in the end were faced with the realistic outcome of doing nothing until NASA analyzed the Chabrow findings and crafted yet another bailout plan. The report, from an independent review team, said last month that the station would need more than $7 billion in new money, and take as much as two more years to complete, pushing its last assembly to the year 2007.

But Goldin won't say if he agrees with the new findings - and if so, what he would do to salvage the project. One politician had a new idea, however. F. James Sensenbrenner, R-WI, chair of the House Science Committee, suggested that President Bill Clinton "become personally involved" in getting the Russians to honor their agreement on the modules. But such a move, many policy watchers agree, was unlikely. The White House was too busy selling U.S. space technology secrets to the Chinese military - if you can believe the stories fast circulating around Washington these days. Stay tuned.

NASA Legislative News includes links to full testimony

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Satellite Launch To Boost DTH In India
Calcutta, India (SPX) Dec 28, 2005
The successful launch Thursday of India's heaviest satellite from spaceport of Kourou in French Guyana may have boosted the country's space research efforts to yet another level, but it has also lifted the spirits of at least three Direct-To-Home televisions broadcasters, one of which has been waiting for years to launch its services in India.