DATE=5/31/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-40551
TITLE=SHUTTLE-MIR OVERVIEW (UPDATE)
BYLINE=DAVID MCALARY
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: A U-S SPACE SHUTTLE IS SCHEDULED TO DOCK WITH THE RUSSIAN
SPACE STATION "MIR" FOR THE LAST TIME NEXT THURSDAY. THE MAIN
GOAL OF THE FLIGHT IS TO RETRIEVE THE FINAL U-S ASTRONAUT ON
BOARD. AS V-O-A SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT DAVID MCALARY TELL US, THE
MISSION COMPLETES THE FIRST PHASE OF U-S-RUSSIAN SPACE
COOPERATION LEADING TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION LATER THIS YEAR.
TEXT: AFTER MORE THAN FOUR MONTHS ABOARD MIR, U-S ASTRONAUT ANDY
THOMAS IS WRAPPING UP HIS SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH PROGRAM AND
PREPARING TO JOIN THE CREW OF THE SHUTTLE "DISCOVERY" WHEN IT
DOCKS WITH THE RUSSIAN OUTPOST.
MR. THOMAS IS THE SEVENTH U-S CREW MEMBER TO LIVE AND WORK ON MIR
SINCE NORM THAGARD BECAME A TEMPORARY COSMONAUT IN MARCH, 1995.
HE IS ALSO THE LAST.
THE SHUTTLE DOCKINGS THAT CARRIED HIM AND THE OTHER SIX TO MIR --
COMBINED WITH THE JOINT RESEARCH WORK THEY HAVE DONE WITH
COSMONAUTS AND THE TRANSFER OF SUPPLIES TO RUSSIAN SPACECRAFT --
HAVE TAUGHT THE TWO NATIONS HOW TO WORK TOGETHER IN ORBIT. THIS
LOGISTICAL AND RESEARCH EXPERIENCE IS VITAL AS THEY PREPARE TO
JOIN CANADA, EUROPE, AND JAPAN IN ASSEMBLING THE SUCCESSOR TO MIR
IN ORBIT LATER THIS YEAR.
DISCOVERY COMMANDER CHARLES PRECOURT -- A VETERAN OF TWO EARLIER
MIR DOCKINGS -- SAYS THIS MISSION ENDS THE TRAINING PHASE OF
U-S-RUSSIAN SPACE COOPERATION.
// PRECOURT ACT //
THE FACT THAT THIS PHASE IS COMING TO AN END IS SOMEWHAT
SAD BECAUSE WE HAVE LEARNED TO WORK SO WELL TOGETHER.
BUT SEEING THAT IT IS A STEP INTO THE NEXT GENERATION OF
SPACE STATIONS WHICH WE'RE GOING TO WORK TOGETHER ON, I
THINK WE CAN LOOK TO THIS MOMENT AS A CHANCE TO SAY,
"WELL DONE, EVERYBODY. LET US MOVE ON."
// END ACT //
JOINING THE U-S CREW ON THIS SHUTTLE FLIGHT IS COSMONAUT VALERY
RYUMIN [VUH-'LAYR-REE REE'-YOO-MIN] -- THE EIGHTH RUSSIAN TO FLY
ON A SHUTTLE. HE IS A VETERAN OF MORE THAN 360-DAYS IN SPACE --
MORE ORBITAL TIME THAN ALL HIS SIX DISCOVERY COLLEAGUES COMBINED.
IN RECENT YEARS, MR. RYUMIN HAS BEEN MANAGING THE RUSSIAN SIDE OF
THE JOINT PROGRAM WITH THE UNITED STATES. HIS RETURN TO ORBIT
WILL HAVE HIM EXAMINING MIR CLOSELY TO LEARN HOW WELL IT HAS
WEATHERED ITS 12-YEARS IN SPACE AND WHAT LESSONS CAN BE APPLIED
TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
// RYUMIN ACT [THROUGH TRANSLATOR] //
I UNDERSTAND THAT WE DID NOT, OF COURSE, EXPECT THAT IT
WOULD FLY FOR SO MANY YEARS, SO NOT ALL THE DESIGN AND
STRUCTURAL ASPECTS WERE RESOLVED WITH REGARD TO SUCH A
LONG LIFE IN ORBIT. SO I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT IT WITH
MY OWN EYES AND TO SOMEHOW PASS THIS EXPERIENCE ON TO
THE STATION WHICH IS GOING TO FLY FOR NO LESS THAN
15-YEARS.
// END ACT //
// OPT // DISCOVERY COMMANDER CHARLES PRECOURT SAYS THE
EXPERIENCE MR. RYUMIN GAINS ON THIS SHUTTLE MISSION WILL GIVE HIM
A GREAT ADVANTAGE WHEN HE RESUMES HIS MANAGEMENT ROLE DURING
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION ASSEMBLY.
// OPT PRECOURT ACT //
HE WILL TAKE WITH HIM THE EXPERIENCE AND THE KNOWLEDGE
OF THE SHUTTLE AND OUR CAPABILITIES AND LIMITATIONS THAT
FEW IF ANY WILL HAVE IN RUSSIA THAT HE CAN USE TO GREAT
BENEFIT AS WE TRY TO COME TO QUICKER DECISIONS IN
CRITICAL SITUATIONS IN THE FUTURE, WHICH I'M SURE WE
WILL HAVE. HE'LL HAVE THE BENEFIT OF THE BACKGROUND AND
THAT KNOWLEDGE.
// END ACT // // END OPT //
VALERY RYUMIN WILL BE PAYING PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE
CONDITION OF ONE OF MIR'S COMPARTMENTS -- THE SPEKTR MODULE WHICH
WAS DAMAGED WHEN AN UNPILOTED RUSSIAN SUPPLY ROCKET HIT IT
ONE-YEAR AGO. THE COLLISION WAS ONE OF MANY MISHAPS AND
EQUIPMENT FAILURES TO BEFALL MIR IN THE PAST 16-MONTHS. IT
PUNCTURED SPEKTR AND CAUSED IT TO LOSE AIR PRESSURE, RENDERING IT
UNINHABITABLE.
THE SHUTTLE AND MIR CREWS WILL CONDUCT A SPECIAL TEST TO TRY TO
FIND SPEKTR'S LEAK SO IT CAN BE PATCHED. PREVIOUS SEARCH EFFORTS
FAILED, EITHER BY INTERNAL INSPECTION OR BY FORCING AIR THROUGH
IT IN THE HOPE THAT ESCAPING DEBRIS WOULD INDICATE ITS LOCATION.
ASTRONAUT WENDY LAWRENCE SAYS THIS TIME, A GREENISH-BLUISH
GLOWING GAS WILL BE FLUSHED THROUGH THE COMPARTMENT WHEN THE
SHUTTLE UNDOCKS FROM MIR AND THE DISCOVERY TEAM WILL ATTEMPT TO
OBSERVE WHERE IT IS COMING FROM.
// LAWRENCE ACT //
THIS TIME, WE ARE GOING TO BE USING A GAS THAT WE HOPE
WILL FLUORESCE SO THAT IT WILL BE VISIBLE ONCE IT
REACHES, IT ESCAPES OUTSIDE THE MODULE AND HITS THE
SUNLIGHT. THEN WE WILL ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO PICK IT UP
[OBSERVE IT] AS IT FLUORESCES IN THAT SITUATION.
// END ACT //
DISCOVERY IS TO BE DOCKED WITH MIR FOR FOUR DAYS. THE SHUTTLE'S
TOTAL MISSION IS SCHEDULED FOR 10-DAYS, GIVING ASTRONAUTS TIME TO
CARRY OUT SOME SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS IN WEIGHTLESSNESS BEFORE
AND AFTER THE DOCKING. (SIGNED)
NEB/DEM/RAE
31-May-98 12:46 PM EDT (1646 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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