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DATE=2/22/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-245789
TITLE=RUSSIA / MIR  (L)
BYLINE=PETER HEINLEIN
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  A RUSSIAN SPACE CAPSULE HAS SUCCESSFULLY DELIVERED A  NEW
THREE-MAN CREW TO THE MIR ORBITER FOR WHAT COULD BE THE  AGING 
CRAFT'S LAST MISSION.  V-O-A MOSCOW CORRESPONDENT PETER HEINLEIN 
REPORTS RUSSIA IS UNDER PRESSURE TO SHUT DOWN MIR AND CONCENTRATE
RESOURCES ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. 
TEXT:  THE CREW -- A RUSSIAN COMMANDER, A FRENCHMAN AND A SLOVAK 
-- DOCKED THEIR SPACECRAFT WITH MIR  (MONDAY)  TO THE APPLAUSE OF
A LARGE CROWD OF ONLOOKERS AT MISSION CONTROL OUTSIDE MOSCOW.
     ///  ACT - COSMONAUTS CHATTER WITH GROUND CONTROL  ///
THE CREW JOINED TWO RUSSIAN COSMONAUTS ALREADY ON BOARD. 
THE SLOVAK ASTRONAUT AND THE CURRENT COMMANDER, GENNADY PADALKA, 
ARE TO RETURN TO EARTH NEXT WEEK.  THE OTHER THREE PLAN TO STAY 
ABOARD MIR, PERFORMING A SERIES OF SPACE WALKS AND SCIENTIFIC 
EXPERIMENTS UNTIL AUGUST.
AFTER THAT, HOWEVER, THE FATE OF THE 13-YEAR-OLD MIR ORBITER IS 
UNCERTAIN.  RUSSIA'S CASH-STRAPPED GOVERNMENT IS UNDER PRESSURE 
TO COMMIT ITS FULL RESOURCES TO THE NEW INTERNATIONAL SPACE 
STATION.  AND, PRIME MINISTER YEVGENY PRIMAKOV SAYS MIR CAN STAY 
IN OPERATION ONLY IF PRIVATE FUNDING IS FOUND.  
SO FAR, THERE HAVE BEEN  NO  OFFERS.  IF THERE ARE NONE, THE 
HISTORIC CRAFT WILL BE SHUT DOWN WHEN THE CURRENT CREW LEAVES.  
FLIGHT CONTROLLERS WOULD THEN FIRE ROCKETS THAT WOULD TAKE MIR 
OUT OF EARTH ORBIT, AND SEND IT CRASHING INTO THE OCEAN. 
BUT RUSSIAN SPACE AGENCY OFFICIALS STILL HOLD OUT HOPE THEY CAN 
KEEP THE STATION ALIVE.  IT IS, AFTER ALL, ONE OF THE LAST 
REMAINING SYMBOLS OF SUPERPOWER STATUS.
SPACE AGENCY DIRECTOR YURI KOPTEV TOLD THE FIVE CREWMEN ABOARD 
MIR  (MONDAY)  HE BELIEVES THE STATION HAS  NOT  OUTLIVED ITS 
USEFULNESS.  
         ///  KOPTEV ACT - IN RUSSIAN - FADE UNDER  ///
HE SAYS, "I THINK TOGETHER WE CAN KEEP THIS COMPLEX IN USE AS 
LONG AS POSSIBLE, SO IT CAN CONTINUE TO SERVE THE MOTHERLAND.
BUT OFFICIALS ADMIT THEY FACE A DIFFICULT TASK IN COMING UP WITH 
THE ESTIMATED 250 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR NEEDED TO MAINTAIN THE  
AGING CRAFT.  A LARGE CHUNK OF THE COST IS BEING FINANCED BY  
FOREIGN COUNTRIES WHICH SEND THEIR ASTRONAUTS TO MIR.  BUT THAT 
MONEY IS LIKELY TO DRY UP ONCE THE 16-NATION INTERNATIONAL 
STATION IS OCCUPIED, PROBABLY SOMETIME NEXT YEAR.  (SIGNED)
NEB/PFH/JWH
22-Feb-99 5:46 AM EST (1046 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.