This reminds me of the joke when the US was searching high and low for a pen that could write in space. As you know, a pen works because gravity pulls the ink down. Try using a pen to write upwards (towards the sky). At first you may be able to write due to capilary motion (The word capillary is used to describe any very narrow tube or channel through which a fluid can pass - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capillary) which allows fluid to flow opposing gravity due to intermolecular atomic forces. But eventually gravity will overcome this force and render your pen useless.
The US spent a couple of millions on the pen and they succeeded in obtaining one. It was quite an accomplishment. The Russians, on the other hand, didnt have the cash the US had. So they used the mighty pencil - a simple, yet elegent solution to a complex problem.
Which brings us back to the topic of the post. With the US having the most advance system in the world, they're still relying on Russia to ferry their crew to the International Space Station! Russian technology, not as advance as the US in many ways, is still reliable. The same goes for the MIGS.
I guess its pretty humbling when you can have the mightiest technology in the world, yet render yourself useless when they fail.
-kbg-
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