[BajaGringo]

When we were first approached by JPL a little over 40 years ago, the ISS was never mentioned. We were told we were working on a proposed project for a new space sation that was to be the next step from the Skylab – remember that project? As the US and Soviets were in a space race back then, the project would evolve over the years with the tit-for-tat politics and our work would eventually be incorporated into the ISS after the fall of the Soviet Union and a joint agreement with Russia to explore space together.

That agreement now is faling apart too and there are rumors that Russia wants to abandon their participation on the ISS in the next few years.