Responding to mild U.S. sanctions on Russia, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin announced on May 13 that U.S. astronauts would no longer be welcome to ride to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard Russian rockets. “After analyzing the sanctions against our space industry, I suggest the U.S. delivers its astronauts to the ISS with a trampoline,” said Rogozin.

The taunt is witless.  But the truth behind it is incontestable.  Obama administration space policy has wrung the manned element out of the U.S. space program with few alternatives, save Russia’s good will, to loft American astronauts into space.