Voice of America 5/15/97
SHUTTLE LAUNCH
BYLINE=PETER KING
DATELINE=KENEDY SPACE CENTER
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS IS SAFELY IN
ORBIT AFTER A PERFECT LAUNCH. NEWS MAN
PETER KING REPORTS FROM THE KENNEDY
SPACE CENTER.
TEXT: ATLANTIS IS HEADED FOR THE RUSSIAN
MIR SPACE STATION AFTER A PERFECT
LAUNCH FROM FLORIDA.
// ACT OF ANNOUNCER //
THREE, TWO, ONE. WE HAVE BOOSTER IGNITION
AND LIFT OFF OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS
MAINTAINING AMERICA'S CONSTANT PRESENCE
IN SPACE.
// END ACT //
ATLANTIS' SEVEN MEMBER CREW WILL SPEND
THE NEXT DAY AND A HALF CATCHING UP TO
MIR, BUT THE COMPLICATED SERIES OF
ROCKET FIRINGS DESIGNED TO BRING THE
TWO SHIPS TOGETHER.
THIS IS THE SIXTH, AND POSSIBLY MOST
IMPORTANT, JOINT SHUTTLE MISSION WITH
MIR. THE SPACE STATION HAS BEEN PLAGUED
BY RECENT PROBLEMS, INCLUDING A FIRE,
FAILURE OF AN OXYGEN SYSTEM AND A
BREAK DOWN OF THE SPACE STATIONS
AIR CLEANER.
ASTRONAUT MICHAEL FOALE IS BRING
REPAIR EQUIPMENT WITH HIM AND HE
SAYS HE IS NOT WORRIED ABOUT STAYING
ABOARD MIR FOR FOUR MONTHS.
// MICHAEL FOALE ACT //
THE MOST DANGEROUS THING THAT ANY
OF US WILL DO IS GO OUT TO THE SPACE
SHUTTLE ON LAUNCH MORNING AND THAT IS
WHETHER IT FLIES.
// END ACT //
DR. FOALE REPLACES ASTRONAUT JERRY
LINENGER, WHO HAS BEEN ABOARD
MIR SINCE LAST JANUARY.
THIS IS TRULY AN INTERNATIONAL CREW,
THE SEVEN ATLANTIS ASTRONAUTS WERE
BORN IN FIVE DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AND
AMONG THEM, THEY SPEAK AT LEAST FIVE
DIFFERENT LANGUAGES. AMONG THEM -- TWO
EUROPEAN ASTRONAUTS, JEAN-FRANCIOS
CLERVOIS AND RUSSIAN ELENA KONVEKOVA,
WHO SPENT 169 DAYS ABOARD MIR IN 1994
AND 1995.
(SIGNED)
NEB/PK/CB-T/CF
15-May-97 6:07 AM EDT (1007 UTC)
NNNN
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