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DATE=2/20/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-245745
TITLE=RUSSIA / MIR (L)
BYLINE=PETER HEINLEIN
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  A RUSSIAN SOYUZ SPACECRAFT CARRYING A THREE MAN CREW IS 
ON ITS WAY TO A SCHEDULED MONDAY RENDEZVOUS WITH THE MIR SPACE 
STATION.  VOA'S PETER HEINLEIN IN MOSCOW REPORTS ON WHAT COULD BE
THE ORBITER'S FINAL MANNED MISSION.
TEXT:  13 YEARS TO THE DAY AFTER THE SOVIET UNION LAUNCHED MIR'S 
FIRST MODULE, AN INTERNATIONAL CREW LIFTED OFF FROM THE BAIKONUR 
COSMODROME IN KAZAKHSTAN.  THEY HOPE TO KEEP ALIVE THE LONGEST 
CONTINUOUS HUMAN PRESENCE IN SPACE.
TWO OF THE THREE MEN ON BOARD, A RUSSIAN AND A FRENCHMAN, ARE 
PLANNING TO STAY ON THE AGING CRAFT UNTIL AT LEAST AUGUST.  THE 
THIRD, A SLOVAK NATIONAL, IS TO RETURN LATER THIS MONTH.
THE MIR ORBITER WAS ORIGINALLY EXPECTED TO LAST ONLY FIVE YEARS 
BUT WITH UPDATES AND IMPROVEMENTS, IT HAS SURVIVED TO BECOME ONE 
OF THE FEW ENDURING SYMBOLS OF THE SOVIET SUPERPOWER ERA.  MIR 
HAS BEEN HOME TO MORE THAN 100 COSMONAUTS AND ASTRONAUTS SINCE IT
WAS LAUNCHED ON FEBRUARY 20TH, 1986.
BUT WITH ITS POST-SOVIET ECONOMY IN DECLINE, RUSSIA HAS BECOME 
INCREASINGLY DEPENDENT ON FEES FROM PAYING PASSENGERS TO KEEP MIR
GOING.  THE SPACE STATION COSTS THE CASH-STRAPPED RUSSIAN 
GOVERNMENT 250-MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.
AND WITH THE ADVENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION, RUSSIA IS
COMING UNDER INCREASING PRESSURE TO ABANDON MIR AND CONCENTRATE 
ITS RESOURCES ON THE NEWER ORBITER.  THE INTERNATOINAL STATION 
SHOULD BE READY FOR MANNED MISSIONS NEXT YEAR.
RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER YEVGENY PRIMAKOV RECENTLY TOLD SPACE 
OFFICIALS THEY MUST FIND PRIVATE FUNDING IF THEY WANT TO KEEP THE
STATION IN ORBIT.  IF FUNDS CANNOT BE FOUND, THE COSMONAUTS WILL 
BE BROUGHT HOME IN AUGUST, AND MISSION CONTROL WILL FIRE ROCKETS 
THAT WILL TAKE THE STATION OUT OF ORBIT AND SEND IT CRASHING INTO
THE OCEAN.
BEFORE HE BLASTED OFF SATURDAY, RUSSIAN COSMONAUT VIKTOR 
AFANASYEV TOLD REPORTERS HE IS CONFIDENT THIS MISSION WILL NOT BE
MIR'S LAST.  HE SAID, " IT WOULD BE A GREAT PITY TO DISCARD THE 
STATION."
BUT IF PRIVATE MONEY CANNOT BE FOUND--AND RUSSIAN SOURCES ADMIT 
CHANCES ARE SLIM--COSMONAUT AFANASYEV COULD BE MIR'S LAST 
COMMANDER. (SIGNED)
NEB/PFH/PLM
20-Feb-99 3:45 AM EST (0845 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.