Report recommends that NASA be exempt from ITAR

The US government's technology export rules threaten the safe operation of the International Space Station (ISS), a Congressionally mandated report has concluded.

The US International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR) hampers the ability of US companies that operate NASA space station elements on behalf of the agency to exchange and discuss technical data with ISS international partners.

The ISS Independent Safety Task Force (IISTF) report says that "the ITAR restrictions are a threat to the safe and successful integration and operation of the station".

The report's recommendation is for the US state department to "grant NASA immediate relief from the [ITAR] restrictions" from mid-2007, "in the form of an exemption to allow NASA contractors direct interaction with ISS partners and their contractors".

Mid-2007 is specified due to the planned 25 July 2007 launch of the European Space Agency's Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) ISS supply spacecraft - now expected to be delayed until 2008.

A related IISTF recommendation is that NASA conducts a comprehensive review of the expected flight operations of ATV, which will dock with the Russian segment of the station. The report says that this ATV review was completed on 8 January this year.

ESA tells Flight International the review was successful, but NASA says "several engineering and schedule-related follow-up action items came out of the meeting that the [ISS] programme and ESA are now working on together. These actions will be taken up in future [ATV] project meetings as an integral part of the ongoing preparation for flight."

Other IISTF recommendations include placing "the highest priority" on decreasing the risk of debris impact employment plans to maintain critical ISS skills completion of current Space Shuttle flight plans and the commitment of about $1 billion to ensure adequate ISS logistics and spares.

IISTF was charged with reviewing the ISS programmes to assess potential vulnerabilities that could threaten the station or its crew, or lead to it being abandoned.

Source: Flight International

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