DATE=6/1/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-233177
TITLE=SHUTTLE - MIR (L)
BYLINE=DAVID MCALARY
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: BOTH THE WEATHER IN FLORIDA AND THE RUSSIAN MIR SPACE
STATION ARE COOPERATING TO PERMIT LAUNCH OF THE U-S SHUTTLE
DISCOVERY TO MIR ON SCHEDULE TUESDAY [AT 6:10 P.M. EASTERN TIME].
RUSSIAN SPACE OFFICIALS SAY A NEW MIR COMPUTER WILL PERMIT THE
OUTPOST TO REMAIN STABLE ENOUGH TO ALLOW DISCOVERY TO DOCK LATER
THIS WEEK. V-O-A SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT DAVID MCALARY REPORTS.
TEXT: OFFICIALS AT THE U-S SPACE AGENCY NASA SAY THEY ARE
CONFIDENT THAT TECHNICAL CONDITIONS ABOARD MIR ARE SUFFICIENTLY
UNDER CONTROL TO PROCEED WITH THE COUNTDOWN FOR THE SHUTTLE LIFT
OFF.
A COMPUTER THAT STABILIZES MIR'S POSITION FAILED SATURDAY,
LEAVING THE RUSSIAN OUTPOST DEPENDENT ON FUEL-HUNGRY JETS TO
POSITION IT. THE ACTING HEAD OF THE RUSSIAN SPACE AGENCY'S JOINT
PROGRAM WITH NASA -- BORIS SOTNIKOV -- TOLD REPORTERS AT A
FLORIDA NEWS CONFERENCE THAT A NEW MOTION CONTROL COMPUTER
INSTALLED BY MIR COSMONAUTS OVER THE WEEKEND IS NOW PROGRAMMED
AND OPERATING.
// SOTNIKOV [IN RUSSIAN] //
THE SITUATION IS BASICALLY UNDER CONTROL AND THERE IS NO
REASON TO DELAY. THERE ARE STILL A COUPLE OF MINOR
TECHNICAL ISSUES, BUT BASICALLY THE SITUATION IS UNDER
CONTROL.
// END ACT //
THE SHUTTLE IS SCHEDULED TO DOCK WITH MIR THURSDAY FOR THE LAST
TIME TO RETRIEVE U-S ASTRONAUT ANDY THOMAS AFTER HIS FOUR MONTH
STAY. HE IS THE LAST OF SEVEN U-S ASTRONAUTS TO LIVE ON MIR
SINCE 1995 IN A PROGRAM OF COOPERATION LEADING TO INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION CONSTRUCTION LATER THIS YEAR.
// OPT // DURING THIS FIRST PHASE OF COOPERATION, THE U-S AND
RUSSIAN SPACE AGENCIES MERGED A LARGE PART OF THEIR OPERATIONS
AND DEVELOPED PROCEDURES TO CONDUCT JOINT OPERATIONS IN SPACE OF
THE KIND THAT WILL BE REQUIRED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL STATION.
THIS INCLUDED NOT ONLY DOCKING, BUT OPERATIONS TO RESUPPLY MIR, A
PROGRAM OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ABOARD THE RUSSIAN OUTPOST, AND
PROBLEM SOLVING TO FIX THE AGING MIR'S MANY TECHNICAL PROBLEMS.
// OPT // THE U-S SPACE AGENCY OFFICIAL MANAGING THE SPACE
STATION PROGRAM, RANDY BRINKLEY, SAYS HIS AGENCY HAS LEARNED A
LOT FROM THE COOPERATION:
// OPT BRINKLEY ACT //
I DO THINK IT WAS A VERY WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT. IT HAS
CLEARLY ALLOWED US TO REDUCE OUR TECHNICAL RISK DURING
THE DEVELOPMENT PHASE FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS. I
BELIEVE IT WILL ENSURE SAFE OPERATIONS ON THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. WE'VE BENEFITED FROM
PROBLEMS PROBABLY MORE THAN WE HAVE FROM OUR SUCCESSES.
SO THOSE LESSONS LEARNED WILL CHANGE OUR PROCEDURES SO
THAT WE HAVE LESS CHANCE OF HAVING THE SAME KINDS OF
PROBLEMS ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
// END ACT // // END OPT //
THE START OF SPACE STATION CONSTRUCTION WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED
FOR LAST NOVEMBER. BUT BECAUSE RUSSIA COULD NOT AFFORD TO FINISH
A MAJOR COMPONENT ON TIME, THE BUILDING SEQUENCE WAS FIRST SET
BACK UNTIL THIS MONTH.
NOW, THERE HAS BEEN ANOTHER POSTPONEMENT. REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
U-S, RUSSIA, CANADA, JAPAN, AND 12 EUROPEAN COUNTRIES MET AT
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER IN FLORIDA SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AND AGREED TO
DELAY STATION ASSEMBLY AGAIN UNTIL THIS COMING NOVEMBER.
THE DELAYED RUSSIAN COMPONENT IS A SERVICE MODULE WHICH IS
NECESSARY FOR CREWS TO INHABIT THE STATION. IT IS NOT EXPECTED
TO BE READY FOR LAUNCH UNTIL NEXT APRIL.
SO THE FIRST COMPONENT -- A RUSSIAN POWER AND PROPULSION MODULE
-- WILL NOW GO UP ON NOVEMBER 20TH, FOLLOWED TWO WEEKS LATER BY A
U-S CONNECTING PASSAGEWAY.
NASA OFFICIAL RANDY BRINKLEY SAYS HE IS CONFIDENT THE NEW TARGET
DATES WILL BE MET.
// BRINKLEY ACT //
WE WILL MEET AGAIN IN THE SEPTEMBER TIME FRAME TO
FINALIZE THE ADDITIONAL OPEN WORK THAT IS STILL LEFT TO
GO AT THIS POINT IN TIME. BUT I HAVE HIGH CONFIDENCE
THAT WE WILL LAUNCH THIS YEAR AND I'M PLEASED TO REPORT
THAT THIS WEEK THE SERVICE MODULE WILL BE TRANSPORTED TO
BEGIN ITS TESTING, HAVING COMPLETED OVER 95 PER CENT OF
THE ASSEMBLY, DESPITE THE PROBLEMS THAT THE RUSSIAN
SPACE AGENCY HAS HAD WITH ITS FUNDING.
// END ACT //
IF RUSSIA MEETS IT APRIL DEADLINE FOR THE SERVICE MODULE LAUNCH,
THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL CREW WILL INHABIT THE NEW STATION IN
JULY, 1999. (SIGNED)
NEB/DEM/KL
01-Jun-98 6:19 PM EDT (2219 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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