When the industry was regulated before 1978, a federal rule known as Rule 240 required airlines to send customers to competitors if they canceled flights.
The Obama Administration has canceled plans it inherited to send astronauts back to the Moon, the Space Shuttle is about to retire, and the only near-term human space flight initiative on the books is a handout to rich California businessmen to update old technology.
The United States had planned to send its own representative to the meeting, but canceled "because of concerns of an al Qaeda link, " the U.S. official said.