Well, a last-minute amendment to a major military budget bill is going to allow American companies to continue purchasing and using Russian rocket engines that directly benefit Vladimir Putin's defense programs.

A quick recap: United Launch Alliance, a joint space venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing, launches nearly every military satellite into space. To do that, it uses RD-180 engines, which power its Atlas V rocket. These engines are expensive, based on old technology, and, most importantly, entirely Russian-made. With Congress and the Obama administration imposing all sorts of economic sanctions on Russia due to its actions in Ukraine, it doesn't necessarily make sense for a military contractor to spend taxpayer money to directly fund Russia's rocket industry.