Digest Number 465

>Despite the high profit margin, the low volume of their sales cannot support their entire space program.
>The USA and France have not allowed them to drop their prices. If Soyuz were sold for a more reasonable profit margin (e.g. 10% instead of 1000%) then they would capture the entire world market, and increase their volume considerably, and drive down launch costs considerably. But the western launch companies would scream bloody
>murder, and they have very powerful lobbyists in Washington and Paris.
>

Hi Charles,

do you have any references for this information? What sort of
influence are the USA and France exerting on Russia that could possibly
enforce such a request? It just seems extraordinarily counterproductive,
particularly given the statements from the Russians recently about lack
of funds - at least from the Energia people concerning building Soyuz
and Progress ships: see
http://www.space.com/spacenews/archive02/newsbriefsarch_100702.html

which quotes:

Valery Ryumin, head of the ISS program office at Korolev, Russia-based
Energia, wrote his NASA counterpart in late September to warn that the
company could not guarantee timely completion of Progress and Soyuz
vehicles. Ryumin said that the company is in a dire financial situation
because the Russian government has not been able to pay off the vehicles
it has ordered.

Rosaviakosmos chastised Ryumin for bypassing the agency to appeal
directly to NASA. Ryumin said he appealed to Rosaviakosmos for more
funds but was told that the agency had no money to spare for the ISS.

thanks for your other comments,

Arthur