DATE=8/13/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-237039
TITLE=RUSSIA SPACE (L ONLY)
BYLINE=RENE SCHNEIDER
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THREE RUSSIANS HAVE BLASTED INTO ORBIT -- AMONG THEM, A
FORMER TOP AIDE TO RUSSIAN PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN. RENE
SCHNEIDER REPORTS FROM MOSCOW.
TEXT: RUSSIA LAUNCHED ITS FIRST BUREAUCRAT INTO ORBIT THURSDAY
EN ROUTE TO THE MIR SPACE STATION.
A SOYUZ CAPSULE CARRYING FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER YURI
BATURIN BLASTED OFF FROM THE BAIKONUR COSMODROME IN THE FORMER
RUSSIAN REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN.
ALONG WITH MR. BATURIN ON THE MISSION, ARE TWO PROFESSIONAL
COSMONAUTS, FLIGHT COMMANDER GENNADY PADALKA AND ENGINEER SERGEI
AVDEYEV. THE PAIR WILL REPLACE TWO OF THEIR COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE
BEEN LIVING ON THE MIR ORBITER FOR THE PAST SIX MONTHS.
MR. BATURIN TRADED IN HIS KREMLIN JOB LAST FEBRUARY FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE HIS CHILDHOOD DREAM. SPACE OFFICIALS
ADMITTED MR. BATURIN'S PREVIOUS OFFICIAL ROLE HELPED HIS
SELECTION FOR THE MISSION, BUT ADDED THAT THE FORMER YELTSIN AIDE
IS A QUALIFIED COSMONAUT.
THE 49-YEAR OLD MR. BATURIN STARTED HIS CAREER IN THE SPACE
INDUSTRY, WORKING FOR RUSSIA'S ENERGIYA ROCKET CORPORATION IN THE
1970'S. BUT HE LATER TRAINED AS A LAWYER AND WENT INTO POLITICS.
HE LOST EIGHT KILOS AND UNDERWENT RIGOROUS TRAINING IN THE PAST
YEAR FOR THE MISSION.
IN PREPARATION FOR TAKE-OFF, HE JOINED OTHER COSMONAUTS IN
SEVERAL RUSSIAN SPACE FLIGHT TRADITIONS, LEAVING AUTOGRAPHS ON
THE DOOR OF HIS HOTEL ROOM AND DRINKING A GLASS OF CHAMPAGNE
BEFORE TAKE-OFF WITHOUT TOASTING HIS COLLEAGUES.
THE SOYUZ CAPSULE CARRYING THE TRIO IS SCHEDULED TO DOCK WITH THE
MIR ORBITER ON SATURDAY. MR. BATURIN WILL SPEND 10 DAYS ON THE
SPACE STATION, CONDUCTING VARIOUS TECHNICAL AND SCIENTIFIC
EXPERIMENTS BEFORE RETURNING TO EARTH WITH TWO MEMBERS OF THE
CURRENT MIR CREW ON AUGUST 25TH. (SIGNED)
NEB/RS/JWH/JO
13-Aug-98 3:03 PM EDT (1903 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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