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DATE=8/11/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-236935
TITLE=SEA LAUNCH COOPERATION STOPPED (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=MIKE O'SULLIVAN
DATELINE=LOS ANGELES
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  THE U-S AEROSPACE COMPANY BOEING HAS BEEN ORDERED TO 
TEMPORARILY STOP COOPERATING WITH ITS INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS ON A
SEA-GOING SATELLITE LAUNCH SYSTEM.  V-O-A'S MIKE O'SULLIVAN 
REPORTS THE U-S STATE DEPARTMENT ORDERED COLLABORATION SUSPENDED 
BECAUSE OF FEARS THAT SENSITIVE TECHNOLOGY HAD BEEN ILLEGALLY 
TRANSFERRED.
TEXT:  THE U-S STATE DEPARTMENT CONFIRMED THIS WEEK THAT ON JULY 
27TH, IT ORDERED BOEING TO STOP COOPERATING WITH ITS PARTNERS IN 
RUSSIA, UKRAINE, AND NORWAY ON THE SEA LAUNCH PROGRAM.  BOEING IS
THE MAJOR INVESTOR IN THE 500-MILLION-DOLLAR PROJECT. OVERSEAS 
PARTNERS INCLUDE R-S-C ENERGIA OF MOSCOW, WHICH OPERATES THE MIR 
SPACE STATION, AND THE UKRAINIAN PRODUCER OF THE "ZENIT" ROCKET. 
A U-S OFFICIAL SAYS THE STATE DEPARTMENT IS RESPONDING TO WHAT 
SHE CALLS "SERIOUS CONCERNS" OVER A POSSIBLE TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER,
AND SAYS THE TEMPORARY SUSPENSION IS NORMAL PRACTICE IN SUCH 
INQUIRIES.
THE SEA LAUNCH PROGRAM, WHICH IS BASED IN LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA,
WILL PLACE COMMERCIAL SATELLITES IN ORBIT FROM A CONVERTED OIL 
DRILLING PLATFORM POSITIONED 22-HUNDRED KILOMETERS SOUTHEAST OF 
HAWAII.  THE FIRST LAUNCH IS SCHEDULED FOR EARLY NEXT YEAR.  
BOEING OFFICIALS HOPE TO KEEP ON SCHEDULE, BUT SAY A DELAY IS 
POSSIBLE, DEPENDING ON THE LENGTH OF THE GOVERNMENT INQUIRY.
BOEING SPOKESMAN TIM DOLAN SAYS THE INFORMATION RELEASED TO 
OVERSEAS PARTNERS WAS NOT CLASSIFIED.  HE SAYS AN INTERNATIONAL 
SCIENTIFIC PROJECT OF THIS SCALE IS UNPRECEDENTED, AND EVERYONE 
INVOLVED IS BEING "VERY, VERY CAREFUL."  BUT HE SAYS TECHNICAL 
PROCEDURES THAT WERE IN PLACE WERE NOT ADEQUATE.
THE BOEING SPOKESMAN SAYS THE PARTNERS ON THE PROJECT CAN 
CONTINUE TO WORK INDEPENDENTLY, BUT COLLABORATIVE ENGINEERING AND
TESTING WILL BE STOPPED FOR THE DURATION OF THE PROBE. (SIGNED)
NEB/MOS/WDC/JO
11-Aug-98 5:29 PM EDT (2129 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.