DATE=2/1/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=RUSSIA SPACE (S-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-258665
BYLINE=PETER HEINLEIN
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Russia has launched a cargo craft to its
Mir space station in preparation for an expected
manned mission to the orbiter next month. V-O-A's
Peter Heinlein has the story from Moscow.
TEXT: A Progress cargo ship blasted off from the
Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan Tuesday,
carrying food, fuel and oxygen to Mir. Officials
say the craft is scheduled to dock with the
orbiter Thursday.
If the automated docking fails, an emergency crew
will be sent into orbit in about two weeks to
perform the operation manually.
The 14-year old space station has been orbiting
the earth unmanned since it was partially shut
down last August. But space officials say the
supplies now on their way are in preparation for
the arrival of three cosmonauts in late March.
The United States urged Russia to close Mir and
instead concentrate its meager budget on the new
international space station. But the government
decided to keep the orbiter open after finding a
foreign investor willing to pay $20 million
dollars for one more flight. (Signed)
NEB/PFH/GE
01-Feb-2000 05:35 AM EDT (01-Feb-2000 1035 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
