The U.S. Bind Over a Ban on Russian Rocket Engines. The United States can no longer send an astronaut into space without Russia’s help. Nor can the U.S. launch the Atlas V — used to put heavy national security satellites into orbit — without use of the Russian-made RD-180 rocket engine.

A glaring national security problem perhaps? Who is responsible for this? Doesn’t anyone ever get sacked nowadays?

Well it’s not that important any more. The head of NASA has said Barack Obama told him to make “reaching out to the Muslim world” one of NASA’s top three priorities, along with inspiring children, and expanding international relationships.