Voice of America 4/11/97
MIR/LINENGER NEWS CONF (L)
BYLINE=NICK SIMEONE
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE CREW ON BOARD RUSSIA'S ORBITING MIR
SPACE STATION IS STILL WORKING TO REPAIR
OXYGEN-GENERATING AND COOLING EQUIPMENT THAT
MALFUNCTIONED IN RECENT WEEKS. ABOARD MIR IS
AMERICAN ASTRONAUT JERRY LINENGER WHO TOLD
REPORTERS THROUGH AN AUDIO HOOK-UP FRIDAY
MUCH WORK REMAINS TO BE DONE UNDER WHAT CAN
BE DIFFICULT CONDITIONS. MORE FROM EARTH-BOUND
CORRESPONDENT NICK SIMEONE.
TEXT: ASTRONAUT LINENGER AND HIS TWO RUSSIAN
CREW MATES HAVE BEEN UNLOADING A SUPPLY SHIP
WITH TOOLS TO FIX LEAKY COOLANT PIPES AND A BROKEN
OXYGEN GENERATOR, TWO PROBLEMS THAT HE SAYS
HAVE MADE CONDITIONS IN THE MIR CABIN A BIT
UNCOMFORTABLE.
// LINENGER ACT //
WE'RE HAVING SOME CONGESTION, SECONDARY I'M SURE TO SOME
OF THE FUMES. THE TEMPERATURE OF COURSE NOT ONLY
AFFECTS US BUT ALSO AFFECTS SOME OF THE HARDWARE ON
BOARD AND THE ABILITY TO REMOVE THE MOISTURE FROM THE
AIR.
// END ACT //
THOSE PROBLEMS COME AFTER A FIRE THAT BROKE OUT
ON BOARD MIR IN FEBRUARY, A MONTH AFTER ASTRONAUT
LINENGER ARRIVED ON MIR. AND ONEHE TOLD AMERICAN
REPORTERS THE FIRE NEARLY FORCED THE CREW TO
ABANDON SHIP.
// SECOND LINENGER ACT //
PROBABLY 15 MINUTES INTO THE FIRE, WE WERE PROBABLY
DEFINITELY READY TO EVACUATE THE STATION AND THE MAJOR
PROBLEM BEING THAT ONE OF THE SOYUZ (SPACECRAFT) WAS ON
THE WRONG SIDE OF THE FOYER (THE MIR EXIT). BUT THE
COMMANDER HAD ALREADY CHECKED OUT THE ONE SOYUZ AND WE
WERE DOING ALL THE NECESSARY ACTIONS TO EVACUATE.
// END ACT //
BOTH U-S AND RUSSIAN SPACE OFFICIALS WILL BE
EXAMINING THE STATE OF MIR BEFORE A DECISION IS
MADE ON WHETHER TO SEND UP ASTRONAUT LINENGER'S
REPLACEMENT NEXT MONTH.
THE 11 YEAR-OLD RUSSIAN SPACECRAFT WAS BUILT TO
LAST ONLY FIVE YEARS AND IT MAY BE SHOWING ITS AGE.
BUT RUSSIAN SPACE OFFICIALS CALL THIS RECENT RUN
OF BAD LUCK EXAGGERATED AND THEY WERE IRRITATED
OVER NASA'S CHARACTERIZATION OF RECENT OXYGEN
PROBLEMS AS CRITICAL. AFTER SIGNS OF STRAINED
RELATIONS BETWEEN U-S AND RUSSIAN SPACE OFFICIALS,
RUSSIAN PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN SAYS HE WILL
RELEASE MONEY FOR CONSTRUCTION OF AN INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION -- ALREADY DELAYED. HE ALSO LASHED
OUT IN PUBLIC AT HIS TOP SPACE OFFICIAL FOR ALLOWING
ONE OF RUSSIA'S PIONEERING PROJECTS TO LAPSE. (SIGNED)
NEB/NJS/KL
11-Apr-97 12:20 PM EDT (1620 UTC)
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