Another reason for shuttle extension--read NASA plan puts America at risk

"Popovkin's speculation is almost certainly incorrect--and, I suspect, was likely a bit of deliberate nationalist pandering, perhaps not meant to be taken seriously. But there are two reasons it's worrisome. The first is that it's hard to prove he's wrong, so when the next, more militarily useful, spacecraft fails, the accusation can resurface. The other is that Popovkin, and the Sputniks he controls, are the only way to get American astronauts to the International Space Station."

Credit: NASA watch: phobos-grunt failure

Ed note -- item 3 of the NASA plan puts America at risk, covers irresolvable policy differences. As the author of this paper indicated NASA 's failure to extent shuttle exposes the USA to unnecessary risk. High risk associated with commercial approaches also.
However, we had an operational system, but it was discarded leaving us with Soyus. Attitudes in Congress towards space are well covered in the article, How end of NASA affects national security.