DATE=6/8/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-233556
TITLE=SHUTTLE / MIR MONDAY (L)
BYLINE=DAVID MCALARY
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
INTRO: THE U-S SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY HAS DEPARTED FROM THE
RUSSIAN SPACE STATION MIR AFTER FOUR DAYS JOINED BY AN AIR-TIGHT
TUNNEL.. V-O-A'S SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT DAVID MCALARY REPORTS THE
FINAL DOCKING OF A SHUTTLE TO THE RUSSIAN OUTPOST IS OVER.
TEXT: WITH HANDSHAKES AND HUGS, SHUTTLE AND STATION CREWS BID
AN EMOTIONAL FAREWELL TO EACH OTHER. DISCOVERY LATER PULLED
SLOWLY AWAY AND FLEW AROUND MIR BEFORE DEPARTING FOREVER, NEVER
TO RETURN.
THE MANEUVER ENDED A THREE-YEAR PHASE IN WHICH SEVEN U-S
ASTRONAUTS HAVE INHABITED MIR AS PART OF TRAINING FOR LIFE ABOARD
THE PLANNED INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
DISCOVERY COMMANDER CHARLES PRECOURT ACCEPTED A PARTING GIFT FROM
MIR COMMANDER TALGAT MUSABAYEV -- A LARGE WRENCH, SYMBOLIC OF THE
JOINT WORK BOTH SIDES WILL DO TO ASSEMBLE THE INTERNATIONAL
STATION BEGINNING IN NOVEMBER.
// PRECOURT ACT //
WE ARE GOING TO NEED THIS FOR ALL THE WORK THAT WE HAVE
AHEAD OF US, TALGAT. THIS IS GREAT. THE WHOLE FLIGHT
HAS BEEN FANTASTIC, THE WHOLE PHASE ONE HAS BEEN
FANTASTIC, AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH
YOU AGAIN.
// END ACT //
THE BASIC WORK OF THE MISSION WAS TO RETRIEVE THE LAST U-S CREW
MEMBER TO INHABIT MIR -- ANDY THOMAS -- AND TRANSFER THOUSANDS OF
KILOGRAMS OF SUPPLIES TO HELP KEEP MIR OPERATING IN ORBIT.
AS THE SHUTTLED PULLED AWAY, BOTH CREWS WATCHED AS THE MIR
COSMONAUTS PUMPED A GREEN, LUMINESCENT GAS THROUGH A CRIPPLED
SPACE STATION MODULE WHICH WAS PUNCTURED AND DEPRESSURIZED WHEN A
RUSSIAN SUPPLY ROCKET COLLIDED WITH IT LAST YEAR. ALTHOUGH THEY
HAD HOPED TO LOCATE THE HOLE BY OBSERVING WHERE THE GAS ESCAPED,
THEY SAW NOTHING DEFINITE.
GROUND TECHNICIANS WILL VIEW A VIDEOTAPE OF THE PROCEDURE AFTER
DISCOVERY LANDS LATER THIS WEEK TO SEE IF ITS ENHANCED IMAGING
SHOWS THE LEAK.
THE END OF THE FINAL DOCKING MISSION WAS THE OCCASION OF A
CONGRATULATORY AND NOSTALGIC TELEPHONE CONFERENCE BETWEEN U-S AND
RUSSIAN FLIGHT CONTROLLERS AND MISSION MANAGERS WHO HAD WORKED
TOGETHER FOR SEVERAL YEARS. MANY OF THESE OFFICIALS WOULD
CONTINUE INTO THE SPACE STATION BUILDING PHASE OF THE PROJECT.
THE HEAD OF THE U-S SIDE OF THE COOPERATIVE PROGRAM -- FRANK
CULBERTSON -- SAYS THIS FIRST PHASE MET ITS GOALS OF LEARNING HOW
TO WORK TOGETHER IN ORBIT. FURTHERMORE, HE NOTES, MIR FINALLY
ALLOWED THE SHUTTLE TO BE THE SPACE FERRY IT WAS DESIGNED TO BE,
BRINGING PEOPLE AND GOODS UP TO AN ORBITING OUTPOST, AS IT WILL
DO TO MIR'S REPLACEMENT.
IN THIS REGARD, MR. CULBERTSON SAYS MIR -- WHICH CAN BE
TRANSLATED FROM RUSSIAN TO MEAN EITHER "PEACE" OR "VILLAGE" --
FULFILLED ITS NAME:
// CULBERTSON ACT //
I THINK THE MIR HAS MADE A COMMUNITY AND A VILLAGE OUT
OF OUR SPACE PROGRAMS -- NOT JUST IN SPACE, IN ORBIT,
BUT ALSO ON EARTH BECAUSE IT HAS FORCED US TO WORK
TOGETHER ON THINGS THAT WE HAD NOT WORKED TOGETHER
BEFORE ON. IT HAS FORCED US TO SOLVE PROBLEMS. IT HAS
FORCED US TO LOOK AT EACH OTHER HONESTLY AND OPENLY AND
TO DEAL WITH OUR PROBLEMS HONESTLY AND OPENLY.
// END ACT //
WITH THE SPACE SHUTTLE IN ITS OWN ORBIT ONCE AGAIN, THE CREW WILL
FOCUS ON SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS BEFORE HEADING BACK TO EARTH FOR
A SCHEDULED FRIDAY LANDING. (SIGNED)
NEB/DEM/PT
08-Jun-98 6:26 PM EDT (2226 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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