NASA Seeks Clearance to Buy Russian Technology

Dean Acosta, spokesman for NASA Administrator Michael D. Griffin, said the agency is "very, very confident that we will be able to work with any agreement that comes about between the administration and Congress." He acknowledged "there is an urgency" in resolving the issue.

Rohrabacher said NASA has told Congress that unless a solution is found, Russia will not begin the October training for the U.S. astronaut assigned to replace McArthur in April.

"Desperate is too strong a word," said one knowledgeable Republican congressional aide of the administration's interest in amending the law. "But they're getting real nervous. The Russians have told them [NASA] they will not give the astronaut a visa."

This source and other congressional aides agreed to speak about efforts to amend the act on the condition of anonymity, either because discussions are still developing or because the lawmakers they work for have not yet taken a position.

The Iran Nonproliferation Act was conceived by a Republican Congress to stiffen President Bill Clinton's resolve in responding to Russian support for Iran's nuclear ambitions. The prohibition on purchases of Russian space technology has never taken effect because a previous agreement obligated the Russians to provide 11 free Soyuz flights for U.S. astronauts staffing the space station. The Sept. 30 flight will be the 11th.

Russia has warned for several years that it would require payment for further flights. Its cash-strapped space program has charged two space tourists an estimated $20 million apiece for a visit to the station and is scheduled to take New Jersey entrepreneur Gregory Olsen on Sept. 30, along with McArthur and Russian flight engineer Valery I. Tokarev.

On July 12, Griffin sent Congress a proposed Nonproliferation Act amendment that would effectively allow the administration to buy Russian space technology for any purpose and for as long as it is needed.

Rohrabacher said he supports the administration proposal because the sanctions have not worked and Russia has "already made the contributions they're going to make to the Iran nuclear program."

His view does not appear to have widespread support, however, both because of congressional antipathy toward Iran and concern that continued reliance on Soyuz could lead to Russian price-gouging and could short-circuit NASA's efforts to develop its own next-generation space vehicle.

"Everyone's willing to give them what they need for the next few [Soyuz] flights," one Republican House aide said. "But there's a fair amount of debate on anything beyond that or whether to allow private contractors to make deals."

Still, there appears to be no organized opposition. "I would know if there was," said Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-Calif.), a senior member of the House International Relations Committee and a noted anti-Iran hawk. "But we're on the horns of a dilemma here. I want a narrow fix -- to use Soyuz to bring people up and down. That's all."