Russian space agency to dictate terms

Russia is planning to raise the price it charges for taking foreign crew members aboard it's Soyuz rockets to the International Space Station – according to the head of the Russian Space agency Roskosmos.

“It is really because the Bush administration said ‘we are going to end the space shuttle fleet, we are going to retire it’, said Manber.

“Today we’re in the situation that in order to keep the price down, as some have been arguing, we must bring the Chinese [into the ISS], who also have a manned programme. In this case there is going to be some competition,” said Manber.

He added that “it is going to be a very difficult time for America when the shuttle retires. We won’t be number one, we won’t be leaders in space and Russia will be sending the cargo ships, 90% of them, and completely in charge of the manned programme.”