As a Star Wars sequel opens on movie screens, a final space battle over Russian space rockets plays out in the U.S. Senate, pitting maverick Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona against the national security establishment.
McCain lost a fight on Friday, with the passage of the federal government’s $1.1 trillion spending bill that allows for buying an unlimited number of Russian RD-180 rocket engines, ending a ban on U.S purchases of the massive machines.
