DATE=11/18/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-41909
TITLE=U-S / RUSSIA / SPACE STATION
BYLINE=DAVID MCALARY
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE SPACE STATION ERA DAWNS FRIDAY WITH A DIFFERENT KIND
OF "SUNRISE" FOR THE RUSSIAN SPACE PROGRAM. SUNRISE IS THE NAME
OF THE FIRST ELEMENT OF THE FUTURE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION TO
BE LAUNCHED INTO PERMANENT EARTH ORBIT. THE MODULE WILL LIFT OFF
[AT 5-HOURS-40 U-T-C] ATOP A RUSSIAN PROTON ROCKET FROM BAIKONUR
COSMODROME IN KAZAKHSTAN. SUNRISE -- "ZARYA" IN RUSSIAN -- IS AN
APPROPRIATE NAME FOR THE FIRST STATION UNIT, FOR OFFICIALS OF THE
U-S SPACE AGENCY NASA, WHICH IS LEADING THE INTERNATIONAL PROJECT
TO BUILD THE STATION, ARE HAILING THE MASSIVE PROJECT AS A NEW
DAY IN THE AGE OF SPACE. V-O-A SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT DAVID
MCALARY TELLS US ABOUT ZARYA AND WHAT IS TO FOLLOW.
TEXT: ZARYA'S LIFT-OFF MARKS THE START OF THE MOST AMBITIOUS
INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC-WORKS PROGRAM EVER ATTEMPTED. AFTER DELAYS
CAUSED BY U-S REDESIGNS AND RUSSIAN FINANCIAL PROBLEMS, THE NEXT
FIVE YEARS WILL SEE 43 U-S SPACE SHUTTLE AND RUSSIAN ROCKET
FLIGHTS CARRY MODULES AND OTHER EQUIPMENT FROM 16 NATIONS FOR
ASSEMBLY OF WHAT WILL BE A 417-THOUSAND-KILOGRAM ORBITING
RESEARCH LABORATORY ABOUT 35 METERS LONG.
FRANK CULBERTSON IS NASA'S DEPUTY PROGRAM MANAGER FOR SPACE
STATION OPERATIONS.
/// FIRST CULBERTSON ACT ///
I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE A TREMENDOUS, VERY
SIGNIFICANT STEP IN HUMAN HISTORY IN SPACE AS WE MOVE
FORWARD WITH THESE UPCOMING LAUNCHES.
/// END ACT ///
THE 12-METER-LONG RUSSIAN MODULE ZARYA -- ITSELF WEIGHING
20-THOUSAND KILOGRAMS -- WILL BE THE FOUNDATION UPON WHICH THE
REST OF THE STATION WILL BE ASSEMBLED. THE NASA OFFICIAL
OVERSEEING ZARYA -- DOUG DREWRY ['DROO-REE] -- SAYS IT WILL SERVE
TWO FUNCTIONS:
/// FIRST DREWRY ACT ///
ONE FUNCTION IS TO SERVE AS THE ATTACH POINT, THE
CONNECTING MODULE FOR ALL THE REST OF THE STATION
ASSEMBLY. THE OTHER THING IS: THIS IS THE CONTROL
MODULE. IT'S THE BRAINS AND THE STRENGTH OF THE EARLY
STATION CONFIGURATIONS.
/// END ACT ///
// OPT // IT WILL ALSO BE THE SOURCE OF ENERGY DURING ASSEMBLY.
SIXTEEN FUEL TANKS ON ZARYA'S EXTERIOR WILL SERVE AS THE
PROPELLANT SUPPLY DEPOT FOR CONSTRUCTION OPERATIONS. MR. DREWRY
SAYS ZARYA IS ALSO OUTFITTED WITH SOLAR WINGS [SOLAR ENERGY
COLLECTORS] 24 METERS WIDE.
/// SECOND DREWRY ACT ///
WHEN THE ARRAYS ARE FULLY DEPLOYED, BOTH ARRAYS GENERATE
ABOUT SEVEN-AND-A-HALF KILOWATTS OF POWER. THAT WILL
PROVIDE ALL THE ELECTRICAL NEEDS FOR THE ZARYA MODULE,
PLUS IT PROVIDES US ENOUGH POWER TO SUPPLY THE OTHER
EARLY STAGES WITH ADDITIONAL POWER.
/// END ACT /// /// END OPT ///
DOCKING PORTS ON ZARYA WILL ALLOW A U-S SPACE SHUTTLE CREW TO
ATTACH THE FIRST U-S NODE -- CALLED UNITY -- TO ONE END DURING
SPACEWALKS EARLY NEXT MONTH. ANOTHER RUSSIAN MODULE IS SCHEDULED
FOR MATING WITH THE OTHER END NEXT JULY.
// OPT // THIS WILL BE THE SERVICE MODULE, WHICH WILL TAKE OVER
THE CONTROL FUNCTION. FRANK CULBERTSON SAYS IT WILL ALSO SERVE
AS HOME FOR THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL CREW TO BEGIN INHABITING THE
STATION.
// SECOND CULBERTSON ACT //
THE CREW, OF COURSE, WILL BE JOINING THE STATION IN
EARLY 2000, IN OPERATING THE STATION THROUGH THE LAB AND
THE SERVICE MODULE, WITH THE SERVICE MODULE BEING THEIR
PRIME LIVING QUARTERS AND, OF COURSE, THEY WILL BE
CONDUCTING RESEARCH THERE AS WELL AS CONTINUING THE
ASSEMBLY OPERATIONS FOR QUITE A WHILE.
/// END ACT /// /// END OPT ///
EVENTUALLY, MORE MODULES, TRUSSES, A MECHANICAL ARM, AND SOLAR
ARRAYS IN ADDITION TO THOSE ON ZARYA WILL FOLLOW.
MR. CULBERTSON SAYS PUTTING THE SPACE STATION TOGETHER WITH
RUSSIA AND 14 OTHER NATIONS REQUIRES A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE
WAY NASA HAS OPERATED. SINCE 1981, ITS MAIN FOCUS HAS BEEN
OPERATING THE SPACE SHUTTLE, ON FLIGHTS OF RELATIVELY SHORT
DURATION. NOW, IT WILL BE OPERATING WHAT HE CALLS AN ASSEMBLY
LINE BETWEEN EARTH AND SPACE, TO MAINTAIN A FACILITY THAT WILL
REMAIN IN CONTINUOUS ORBIT.
/// THIRD CULBERTSON ACT ///
THINGS ARE CONTINUING TO ROLL OUT OF THE PLANTS.
THERE'S A LOT OF HARDWARE IN LINE THAT'S GOING TO BE
FLOWN BOTH HERE AND IN RUSSIA THAT PEOPLE ARE WORKING ON
AS WE PREPARE FOR THESE FIRST LAUNCHES. THAT'S GOING TO
BE OUR WAY OF LIFE FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS. PEOPLE ARE
GOING TO BE BUILDING, TESTING, CERTIFYING, REVIEWING FOR
READINESS PIECES OF HARDWARE, AS WE ARE OPERATING THE
HARDWARE THAT'S GOING TO BE ON ORBIT. THAT'S GOING TO
BE ONE OF THE BIG CHALLENGES OF THIS PROGRAM -- TO KEEP
PEOPLE CLEAR IN THE SEPARATION OF DUTIES, TO BUILD AS
WELL AS OPERATE AT THE SAME TIME, AND KEEP TRACK OF
WHAT'S GOING ON.
// END ACT //
THE FINISHED SPACE STATION WILL HOUSE INTERNATIONAL CREWS OF UP
TO SEVEN AT A TIME, FOR RESEARCH ON THE EFFECTS OF WEIGHTLESSNESS
ON HUMANS, PLANTS, AND MATERIALS. THE GOAL IS TO PREPARE FOR THE
SUCCEEDING SPACE ERA, IN WHICH COLONIES ON THE MOON AND
LONG-DURATION FLIGHTS TO MARS ARE ENVISIONED. (SIGNED)
NEB/DEM/WTW
18-Nov-98 6:47 PM EST (2347 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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