Conference 7.286::space

    I think it's terrific !  That sends a better message to Congress
    and the President (or the two dimwits who want to be president)
    than any we have sent before.
    
    Jon
    

    first JD wants to be the first Music show in space,
    sorry the Cosmonauts already have that, I think all
    the way back to Salyut-7 and even more recently
    with MIR they made up a special show for Workers
    Day with folk song about space,
    
    so he will not be the 1st, and for the offical word from TASS
    
    WILL JOHN DENVER RIDE A SOVIET ROCKET TO SPACE?
    6/10 TASS 19
    
    MOSCOW OCTOBER 6 TASS - BY TASS CORRESPONDENT RENA KUZNETSOVA:
    
    It is quite possible that popular American singer John Denver will
    fulfil his dream of flying in a Soviet Spaceship.
    He can visit the orbiting platform MIR (Peace_.  But his wish alone
    is not enought. If Denver really wants to become a cosmonaut, there
    are seveal conditions which he must meet by all means, this
    correspondent was told at the Soviet Space Agency Glavkosmos.
    
    Fist, he hs to pay Ten Million Dollars, which is the rought  cost
    of a passenger's eight-day stay in orbit on a commercial basis.
     The Sum can be lowered if the aspirant for the flight suggest an
    interesting research program - and then carries it out in space.
    
    Denver's singing and guitar playing will, or course , brighten up
    the life of the Soviet Space Platform's resident creew on an endurance
    mission.  But he needs something more to qualify for a stint alfot.
    
    Just like all the Soviet Cosmonauts and thier colleagues form other
    countries, who have flown on international expeditions under the
    intercosmos program, Denver will have first of all to pass very
    strict and careful medical screening.
    
    It is only after getting a go-ahead from the Doctors that he will
    be admitted to the Cosmonaut training center outside Moscow, which
    is by right described as an international space academy.
    
    The course of traing will take about a year, over this thime he
    wil lhave to master Russian as well as the ricks of the spacemen's
    profession.
    
    It goes without saying, this correspondent was told further at
    Glavkosmos, that if a flight involving Denver ever takes place,
    it will be a regular short-term mission to vist  the resident crew
    on MIR
    
    Denver's compartriots have already flown in a soviet spaceship.
     The vehicle was a soyuz and the occasion was during its memorable
    linkup with an American Apollo Craft in July 1975.
    
    Recalls Soviet Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, the first man to have made
    a space walk:
    
    +Astronauts Thomas Stafford and Donald Slaton stayed on in our
    spaceship somewhat longer than planned. We, the hospitable host,
    just wouldn't let them go.
    
    +Vance Brandt, who stayed behind on duty in the Apollo, even began
    to show concern. He was beginning to think they'd decided to put
    up there for the whole night,' he joked later.+
    
    So - who know? a maybe the U.S. Singer, who was amog the first
    civilians to file an application to become a spacefarer in 1982,
    has undergone training for space shuttle missions and logged many
    hours piloting jets, will indeed be lucky enought to get a taste
    of Soviet Cosmonauts' Hospitality, too.
    
    Item ENds ++++
    

John Denver reported on the show that he has already taken the physical 
thru NASA and has received the go ahead from them.  He also has a letter 
from George Shultz stating that it is ok with the US government if one of 
it's citizens flys into space aboard a Soviet vessel.  The only sticking 
point left is the money.  Denver said that he feels the chances of pulling 
this off is a 60-40 odds in favor of the mission.  :-)


Rich  

Newsgroups: sci.space
Path: decwrl!ucbvax!VLSI.JPL.NASA.GOV!greer%23666%utadnx%utspan.span
Subject: Ivan Dyenver, Kosmonaut
Posted: 21 Oct 88 16:29:27 GMT
Organization: The Internet
 
    Dallas -- John Denver, in town for a concert tonight (10/20/88),
gave an interview to Dallas Morning News pop music critic Russell
Smith.  It was rather a long article, so I'll just excerpt and
condense the interesting parts.  The parts in quotes are from John
Denver, while the unquoted parts are from Russel Smith, and parts in
brackets are my condensations. 
 
    "Quite a few years ago, I was awarded NASA's public service medal.
 I was the catalyst for the whole Citizens in Space program getting
started." "Until President Reagan said he was going to send a teacher
first, I had every reason to believe that I was probably going to be
among the first candidates for space flight." 

    "..., a little over a year ago, I received an inquiry from the
Soviet Union (wanting to know) if I would be interested in flying in
their space program." 

    In 1987 he performed a benefit for the victims of Chernobyl. "I
think they've asked other prominent Americans...I believe I'm the only
one who's expressed positive interest..." 
 
    [After five visits, the Soviets told Denver there were five
requirments: A letter of no objections from the U.S., which he has
from George Shultz; a physical evaluation sufficient for space flight,
which he has from NASA; fluency in Russian, not yet; one year of
training in the Soviet Union;...] 

    "...and it would cost $10M.  The truth is, that's a hell of a
bargain." "...I've told them categorically that I'm unwilling to pay
that money...I have until Nov. 1 to work it out." 
 
    "...I'll bet you I could (raise $10M) within a month.  But I don't
think it's appropriate politically; I don't think it's appropriate in
regard to what we're both trying to achieve in space.  I don't think
it should look like if anybody came up with $10M, they could go into
space.* It's not a stunt for me." 
 
    [Denver would be a full-fledged member of a crew on a one week
flight in December 1989.] 
 
    [On educating the American people about the benefits of the space
program:] 
 
    "Still today they ask, 'Why do we spend all that money to bring a
few rocks back from the Moon?'  They don't know that, in 1976 dollars,
there was a $7 return for every dollar we invested in putting a man on
the moon.**  and I've said people need to be connected with our space
effort.  The way to do that is to take a private citizen up in space. 
And I volunteer." 
  
    Footnotes
 
*  Why not?
** What does that work out to -- about a $1T in 1988 dollars?  Is that true?
 
"When it's late in the day,		|         Dale M. Greer
 even small men cast long shadows."	|   Center for Space Sciences
		-- Who said that?	| University of Texas at Dallas
 
The opinions are my own, and may or may not reflect those of my employer.

Newsgroups: sci.space
Path: decwrl!ucbvax!ARDEC.ARPA!drears
Subject: John Denver in Space
Posted: 19 Oct 88 16:41:57 GMT
Organization: The Internet
  
    This letter to the editor was in this week's issue (24 Oct) of Time:
 
         It is well known that, as an ardent supporter of NASA, I was
    among the first volunteers in the American civilian-in-space effort.
    After this program was suspended following the Challenger tragedy, I
    was intrigued by an offer from the Soviets [People, Sept 5] about
    flying to their space station.  They asserted that their costs for one
    year's cosmonaut training, transportation to and from the space
    station and one week's stay aboard the spacecraft, including one
    supply rocket midweek, total $10 million.  While I recognize that
    reasonable costs must be paid for such a venture, I have stated firmly
    that I am not interested in paying $10 million to spend seven days in
    space.  This project is very serious to me.  It has both political and
    social ramifications.  I appreciate neither the press's inaccuracy nor
    its insinuation that such an endeavor would be taken lightly.
 
			John Denver
			Aspen. CO
 
    I guess this will answer of the questions that have been asked in
this group. 
 
...dennis
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
		Dennis G. Rears
ARPA:	[email protected]	UUCP:  	...!uunet!ardec-ac4.arpa!drears
AT&T:	201-724-6639		USPS:	Box 210, Wharton, NJ 07885
Work:	SMCAR-FSS-E, Bldg 94, Picatinny Ars, NJ 07806
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Today's Boston Globe say's John Denver has decided not to go because
his wife is now pregnant.

    	Did anyone see Sunday's DOONESBURY comic strip?  It has Uncle
    Duke dreaming he's trying to plug John Denver aboard a Soviet
    spacecraft with his M-16. :^)  In the late 1970s, when John Denver
    was more popular, he used to own a house near Duke's in Colorado,
    and Duke used to shoot at him because he couldn't stand him!  Trudeau
    is very good at keeping old characters and plot lines strung together
    even after a decade.
    
    	Of course Duke can put his ammo away now; Sunday strips are
    done weeks in advance, this the reason for the joke now being dated.
    
    	Larry
    

Newsgroups: sci.space
Path: decwrl!decvax!mcnc!thorin!zeta.cs.unc.edu!leech
Subject: American Technological Superiority
Posted: 15 Jan 89 23:35:22 GMT
Organization: University Of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
 
    FARMER OFFERS TO TRADE WHEAT FOR SPACE TRIP
 
    OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - An Oklahoma farmer says he has offered
    the Soviet Union $1 million worth of wheat in exchange for a
    seat on a Soviet space flight.
	Even if the Soviets accept his offer, 73-year-old Elmer
    Graham still has to convince his wife, Mary Ruth.
	"She raises hell every time I get on one of these tears,"
    Graham said.
	The southern Oklahoma farmer and banker said he wrote
    Soviet Ambassador Yuri Dubinin on Nov. 30 offering the deal.
    He hasn't had a reply, but thinks that is a good sign.
	"If they were going to turn it down, they would have just
    flat-footed done it," Graham said. "I figure they're checking
    me out."
--
    Jon Leech ([email protected])    __@/

From: [email protected] (ROB STEIN, UPI Science Editor)
Newsgroups: clari.tw.space,clari.tw.nuclear,clari.news.top
Subject: U.S. to buy nuclear reactor for spacecraft from Soviets
Date: 7 Jan 91 20:44:54 GMT
  
	WASHINGTON (UPI) -- The U.S. government plans to buy a nuclear
reactor from the Soviet Union to help develop an advanced nuclear
power system for future spacecraft, officials announced Monday. 

	The Department of Energy, the Strategic Defense Initiative and
the Air Force have agreed to pay the Soviets $100 million for the
advanced Topaz 2 Space Nuclear Power System, said Sen. Pete Domenici,
R.-N.M. 

	``I am delighted to report this exciting news,'' said
Domenici, who announced the sale at a forum on space nuclear power at
the Albuquerque Convention Center in New Mexico. 

	Illustrating how much the Soviet-U.S. relationship has
changed, the sale of the previously classified reactor represents the
first time the Soviets have sold what once was sensitive military
technology to the United States. 

	``It's a rather dramatic development,'' said Steven Aftergood,
a space analyst for the Federation of American Scientists in Washington. 

	``What once would have been considered sensitive military
technology is now the stuff of commerce. I think it's exciting in that
it represents a breakthrough to a new level of cooperation,''
Aftergood said. 

	The reactor, which is about 6 feet wide and 12 feet long and
can produce about 6,000 watts of electricity, will be housed in a
building near the University of Mexico, where it will undergo testing
by researchers from the university, the Los Alamos National Laboratory, 
Sandia National Laboratory, and Air Force Phillips Laboratory. 

	``It is exciting for New Mexico to be chosen as the home for
this program and it is most encouraging to see this new development in
mutual cooperation between our nation and the Soviet Union,'' Domenici
said in a statement. 

	The Soviets developed the reactor based on earlier U.S. research, 
which has since fallen behind the Soviets.  The reactor will be used to 
develop the technology further. 

	The use of nuclear power in spacecraft is controversial
because of fears that an accident could occur, showering the Earth
with dangerous nuclear debris. Such an accident occurred with a Soviet
craft over Canada in 1978, though no one was harmed in the incident.

	Anti-nuclear activists opposed the use of nuclear power
sources in the Ulysses solar probe and the Galileo and Voyager
spacecrafts. Those devices are based on different technology and
produce relatively small amounts of power. 

	Although the American Federation of Scientists opposes the use
of nuclear reactors in satellites orbiting Earth and for military
purposes, they support their use in spacecraft built to explore the
solar system. 

	Nuclear power enables the construction of larger, more
powerful spacecraft that can travel greater distances than those
relying on solar power or chemical propulsion, Aftergood said. 

	``Nuclear can enable you to do things to that are otherwise
impossible in deep space,'' Aftergood said. 

From: [email protected] (WILLIAM HARWOOD, UPI Science Writer)
Newsgroups: clari.tw.space,clari.news.aviation,clari.news.military
Subject: Soviet may fly on U.S. space shuttle
Date: 14 Mar 91 17:42:33 GMT 
 
	CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (UPI) -- In an unprecedented exchange, a
Soviet cosmonaut may fly aboard a U.S. Shuttle and a NASA astronaut
may spend up to six months on the Soviet Mir space station, if a
superpower summit agreement can be reached, sources said Thursday. 

	The Bush Administration and Soviet officials hope to reach an
agreement on a historic astronaut-cosmonaut exchange during a proposed
summit in Moscow, possibly in May, the sources said.  The summit has
not yet been formally scheduled and details remain to be worked out. 

	But a space exchange has long been discussed on both sides as
a way to improve U.S.-Soviet space cooperation. 

	``I think at the technical level the agreement is a done deal,
that NASA and its counterpart organizations in the Soviet Union
recognize the value of bringing U.S. instrumentation and U.S. research
approaches to some joint life science work,'' said John Logsdon, a
space policy expert in Washington. 

	``This astronaut-cosmonaut exchange is actually the first step
in a long-term joint effort in research in long-duration human flight.'' 

	It was not immediately possible to confirm that such a
proposal might be on the agenda of the expected summit, but Logsdon
said ``both sides are ready to go, they're just waiting for the
political sanction.'' 

	``This was discussed between Vice President (Dan) Quayle and
Mr. Gorbachev when he was in Washington almost a year ago,'' Logsdon
said. ``So this is not a new idea.'' 

	CBS News reported Wednesday the exchange flights would be
scheduled within 18 months of the signing of an agreement and that an
American astronaut would spend up to six months aboard Mir with a
Soviet crew. 

	In exchange, a Soviet cosmonaut would blast off aboard an
American Space Shuttle. 

	Given the current launch schedule and the Soviets' interest in
pursuing medical research, one possibility would be for a cosmonaut to
join the crew of the Shuttle Columbia for a planned June 1993 Spacelab
life sciences mission. 

	Columbia is scheduled to blast off on the first such mission
around May 25.  Both flights feature a Spacelab research module carried
in the Shuttle's cargo bay and both are dedicated to learning more
about the effects of weightlessness on human physiology. 

	Learning more about how to endure long periods of
weightlessness is a key element in planning any future missions to
Mars, which could take more than two years to complete. 

	Soviet cosmonauts conduct extensive medical research aboard
the Mir space station and if the exchange project is approved, it is
possible a physician-astronaut would be selected for a long-duration
flight aboard the Soviet outpost. 

	Two names mentioned Thursday were veteran Shuttle fliers
Manley ``Sonny'' Carter and James Bagian.  Bagian is scheduled to blast
off next month on the first Spacelab life sciences mission. 

	``The point of doing this is more than symbolic,'' Logsdon
said.  ``Sure, there is a symbolic element in the exchange of crews
between the United States and the Soviet Union, but there is also a
very valid scientific purpose. 

	``The Soviet Union is interested in improving the quality of
its life science work aboard its space station and wants to tap into
U.S. research approaches and U.S. technical capabilities in life
sciences.  That's the reason why an M.D. or some sort of person like
that is the desired person to go aboard Mir.'' 

	The previous high point in U.S.-Soviet space cooperation came
in July 1975 when three astronauts aboard an Apollo capsule linked up
with two cosmonauts for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. 

	During that mission, the space fliers visited each other
inside their respective spaceships, but both crews took off and landed
on their own. 

	Since then, American and Soviet space officials have quietly
discussed closer ties between the superpower space programs, including
the possibility of astronaut-cosmonaut exchanges. 

	``We've been talking off and on with the Soviet Union, not
very publicly, for a decade, almost, about exploring space together,''
Logsdon said.  ``Here is a very tangible first step in working together
to get the information for the long voyages out to Mars.  This is
clearly a first step in that direction.'' 

    Copied without permission from:
    Aviation Week and Space Technology/July 1, 1991
    
    Long Astronaut Flights on Mir Sought for U.S.-Soviet Summit
    
    Craig Covault/Washington
    
    The U.S. is preparing a proposal for the Bush-Gorbachev summit covering
    the launch of two or more Soviet cosmonauts on the space shuttle in
    exchange for Soviet launch of U.S. astronauts to the Mir space station
    for joint long-duration manned missions.
    
    White House National Space Council, NASA, State Dept. and Defense Dept.
    officials are reviewing the plan, which is being formulatd for
    presentation by President George Bush to Soviet President Mikhail S.
    Gorbachev at their summit meeting planned for later tihs summer.
    
    The joint flight proposal is a major new element in growing U.S.-Soviet
    space co-operation, which includes events in other mission areas that
    are under way this week. The joint missions would be flown starting
    about 1993 and enhance the study of human responses to zero-g. Such
    data are important for development of future U.S. space station and
    manned lunar/Mars missions.
    
    Unlike the short, one-week Mir visits the Soviets have hosted for
    several inter-national crewmembers, the plan would be for one or more
    U.S. astronauts to spend 60-90 days on board the Soviet station to
    perform detailed physiological and other experiments. The only previous
    long duration U.S. flights were the 24, 56 and 84-day Skylab missions
    in 1973,74.
    
    Long-duration missions of 60-90 days will not be possible on the U.S.
    space station Freedom until about the year 2000, so the opportunity to
    fly U.S. astronauts on the Sowiet station would provide such data on
    U.S. subjects much earlier and at minimal cost to the U.S. NASA also is
    studying conversion of one shuttle orbiter to a nine-month flight
    capability.
    
    Only one astronaut or cosmonaut would be flown as a guest crewmember at
    a time. Because U.S. shuttle missions last only 5-10 days, the U.S.
    would fly two or more Soviet cosmonauts for life sciences and other
    research on individual shuttle missions as part of the joint
    astronaut/cosmonaut flights during the mid 1990s.
    
    The new cooperation also involves:
    * U.S. Ozone Mapper. The first U.S. personnel to visit the secret
    plesetsk Cosmodrome 600mi. north of Moscow ar to arrive at the Soviet
    military launch facility this week. The NASA Gaddard Space Flight
    Center team will inspect the Plesetsk facilities to be used in
    mid-August for final integration of a complex NASA ozone mapper with a
    Sowiet Meteor-3 weather spacecraft
    
    The project to combine the U.S. ozone monitoring instrument with an
    operational Soviet satellite is the largest U.S.-Soviet space hardware
    program undertaken since the Apollo-Sozuz Test Project in 1975. It has
    also been challenging to carry out because of U.S. bureacracy and lack
    of communications capability in the USSR. The Meteor carrying the ozone
    mapper is to be launched into polar orbit Aug. 15 from Plesetsk on an
    SL-14 Cyclone booster.
    
    Even thought the ozone instrument is so old that its technology would
    be of little value to the Soviets, during the last year technolgy
    transfer officials in the Defense and State Depts. have questioned the
    program. White House intervention was necessary to keep the program
    alive.
    
    * U.S. cosmic ray detectors. The Soviet cosmonauts currently on board
    Mir are by this week to perform an extravehicular activity (EVA) to
    place a U.S. cosmic ray detector measuring 3,3 ft. (1 meter) square on
    the outside of the space station.
    
    The detector built at the University of California at Berkeley is to
    remain on the outside of Mir for two years before it is retrieved and
    returned to Earth for analysis by U.S. and Soviet scientists.
    
    The U.S. instrument was launched May 30 from the Baikonur Cosmodrone on
    board the unmanned Soviet Progress M-8 station resupply vehicle that
    docked with Mir June1.
    
    A second smaller U.S. detector measuring 4 in. (10 cm.) square is to be
    launched  to Mir in August and also placed outside during an EVA,
    according to W. Vernon Jones, chief scientist for cosmic and
    helisopheric physics in NASA's Space Physics Div. here.
    
    The Mir crew, cosmonauts Anatoly Artsebarsky and Sergei Kirkalev, on
    June 26 performed the first of a record eight or nine EVAs they plan
    during the next six months for station repairs. Their first EVA was to
    replace a rendezvous/docking antenna damaged by a previous crew. They
    were scheduled to install the U.S. device during their second EVA as
    early as June 28.
    
    The large detector is composed of multiple sheets of phosphate glass
    desighed to record the tracks from heavy cosic rays such as uranium
    atoms. The smaller unit will use the same technique to record the
    tracks of lighter isotopes with iron nuclei.
    
    Cosmic Ray Detector Launched
    The cosmic ray detector, which is passive and has no electrical
    connection with Mir, is the first U.S. device to be launched by the
    Soviets under a 1988 agreement to begin launching instruments on each
    other's spacecraft.
    
    The project to integrate the Goddard total ozone mapping spectrometer
    (TOMS) with a Soviet weather satellite has been a far more complex
    effort. It is the first time a U.S. instrument has been wired into a
    Soviet spacecraft.
    
    "We have realy broken major new ground with the Soviets on this
    project," a NASA official said.
    
    The TOMS instrument, a six-channel ultraviolet spectrometer, is
    important scientifically because it is the only major space system
    capable of monitoring ozone on a global scale. The only other TOMS
    instrument is on the NASA Nimbus 7 spacecraft launched in 1978.
    
    The Nimbus 7 TOMS has been important in observing the hole that
    develops annually in the ozone layer over Antartica and in monitoring
    the pollutant sulfer dioxide released by volcanic eruptions such as
    that of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines. Nimbus 7 is nearing the end of
    its life, however, and NASA needed a way to keep a TOMS instrument
    aloft without a disruption in ozone and volcanic data.
    
    A joint program with the Soviets was a logical way to keep a TOMS
    instrument in space while expanding cooperation with the USSR. The TOMS
    instrument to be flown on the Meteor was built 15 years ago as the
    engineering model for the device on the Nimbus, according to Arlin J.
    Krueger, the Goddard engineer who led the original development and is
    helping coordinate TOMS integration with the Meteor.
    
    Technology Officials Balked
    Although the expanded space cooperation agreement was approved by
    then-President Ronald Reagan and Gorbachev in 1987 and amended by
    diplomatic notes in 1988 to include instrument exchanges, the agreement
    was not welcomed by U.S. technology officials.
    
    "They don't believe Reagan knew what he was doing," another official
    said.
    
    NASA had a difficult time securing an export license from the State
    Dept. for the instrument and its avionics. The agency had to obtain a
    waiver from the Office of Munitions Control so the hardware could be
    cleared for shipment to the USSR under provisions of the International
    Traffic and Arms Regulation.
    
    The spectrometer posed less of a problem than a high-technology
    Fairchild interface adaptor module needed to link the instrument with a
    U.S.-built computer memory system also needed on the spacecraft.
    
    The State Dept. refused to grant a waiver to NASA for shipment of the
    module to the USSR until the agency was able to obtain a
    "precedent-setting" agreement with the Soviet State Commision for
    Hydrometerology. The agreement lays out U.S. restrictions on how the
    device is to be overseen by U.S. personnel in the USSR and handled by
    Soviet customs officials and technicians.
    
    The TOMS hardware has been shipped to the USSR twice for integration
    with the Meteor, according to Krueger. It first was shipped last
    October from Goddard to the Meteor assembly facility at the Institute
    for Electromechanical Engineering at the town of Istra, east of Moscow.
    After initial electrical, mechanical and thermal compatibility tests,
    it was returned to the U.S. in late 1990.
    
    The hardware was shipped for a second time, in May, for final
    integration with the spacecraft. Goddard technicians have accompanied
    the hardware to Istra. They also are to accompany the Meteor whaen it
    is shipped to Plesetsk - a move planned for Aug. 1. The team at
    Plesetsk this week is assessing checkout facility cleanliness and other
    support requirements.
    
    Maintaining communications between Goddard and the plant at Istra has
    been difficult because of poor equipment in the USSR. Project engineers
    have been forced to resort to a commercial computer electronic mailbox
    service in San Francisco to maintain contact with their Soviet
    counterpoints.
    
    Once the Meteor is launched into a 1,200-km (750-mi.) orbit inclined
    82.5 deg., the Toms instrument will record ozone and volcanic data
    continuously. The data will be stored in the U.S.-built memory unit.
    Each day, the entire data set will be transmitted both to a U.S. ground
    station at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia and to a Soviet
    ground station at the town of Obninsk, southwest of Moscow, according
    to George F. Esenwein, NASA program manager for the TOMS/Meteor
    project.
    
    Commands, mostly for instrument calibration, will be sent to the TOMS
    instrument via several Soviet ground stations. Goddard officials will
    develop a list of commands covering a two-week period, then send it to
    the USSR via the San Francisco electronic mail system. The list must
    arrive in the USSR eight days before the commands need to be
    transmitted to the Meteor.
    
    Controllers obtain only one orbit worth of engineering data from the
    Meteor every two weeks as long as the spacecraft is working properly.
    The Meteor is designed to have only a two-year lifetime.
    
    To keep the TOMS ozone/volcanic data flow continuous, NASA plans to
    launch a third TOMS as a dedicated small NASA Earth Probe Satellite in
    1993.
    
    This is to be followed by another TOMS scheduled to be launched in 1995
    on the Japanese Advanced Earth Resources Satellite (ADEOS). Another
    TOMS is to be launched in 1997 on board another NASA Earth Probe
    mission.
    
    NASA has just selected TRW, Inc. for an approximately $30 million
    contract for development of the two Earth Probe spacecraft to carry
    future U.S. TOMS instruments.
    
    
    
    
    Mike Hughes

RELEASE:  91-122 (7/31/91)


        The U.S. and the Soviet Union have agreed to expand civil
space cooperation by flying a U.S. astronaut on a long-duration
Soviet space station Mir mission and a Soviet cosmonaut on a U.S.
Space Shuttle mission, increase cooperation in monitoring the global
environment from space and initiate annual consultations between the
two governments on civil space issues and cooperative activities.
The agreement was reached by Presidents Bush and Gorbachev during the
July 30-3l Summit in Moscow.

        These initiatives were developed for the U.S. side under the
guidance of the National Space Council, chaired by Vice President Dan
Quayle.

        The purpose of the exchange of flights is to conduct Life
Sciences research of mutual interest.  It would advance current
efforts to standardize in- flight medical procedures which would
improve comparability of data taken by each side.

        The exchange would involve training of the crew members at
appropriate U.S. and Soviet facilities, exchange of medical equipment
for flight on the space missions and establishment of a
telecommunications link between appropriate facilities of the two
sides for use during the missions.

        A new joint working group (JWG) on manned space flight will
be established as an annex to the l987 U.S./U.S.S.R. space science
agreement to implement the flight project.  The manned space flight
JWG will work with the exisiting JWG on Space Biology and Medicine,
which will be responsible for implementing the life sciences
research.

        The agreement also calls for expanded cooperation in the
monitoring of the global environment.  Both sides will exchange
information on their respective plans for Earth observations programs
and develop cooperation where joint action could improve Earth
science research and environmental monitoring on a global scale and
facilitate the free and open international exchange of data from
those programs.  This cooperation will be carried out by the
U.S./U.S.S.R. Earth Sciences JWG.

        It was also agreed to hold annual meetings between the two
governments on civil space issues and cooperative activities.

        The JWGs are coordinated on the U.S. side by NASA and the
Department of State-led "Interagency Working Group on U.S./Soviet
Space Cooperation," under the guidance of the National Space Council.

               US-USSR CIVIL SPACE COOPERATION




Past Experience


o   Bilateral cooperation dates back to the early 1960s, with
    agreements on meteorology, communications, magnetic survey
    and life sciences.  In 1970 and 1971 cooperation was
    expanded to encompass compatible rendezvous and docking
    systems and the exchange of lunar samples, among other
    things.

o   Life Sciences Cooperation:  The first Joint Working Group
    (JWG) in this field was established in 1971 to study the
    short- and long-term effects of space flight.  The two
    sides began exchanging relevant manned spaceflight
    biomedical data in 1971; cooperation in the Soviet Cosmos
    Biosatellite Program, initiated in 1975, continued even
    after the US-USSR civil space agreement lapsed in 1982.

o   Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP):  The 1975 mission is the
    only instance of manned spaceflight cooperation between the
    U.S. and the U.S.S.R.; it involved a significant level of
    coordination beginning in 1971 to enable rendezvous,
    docking and interchange of astronauts, as well as the
    conduct of 5 joint science experiments.  The U.S. did
    express an interest in a follow-on mission, but the 1977
    study phase agreement was never implemented due to the
    downturn in the bilateral political relationship.



Current Status


o   The US-USSR Agreement on Cooperation in Space Science was
    signed in Moscow by Secretary Shultz and Soviet Foreign
    Minister Shevardnadze on April 15, 1987.

o   The Agreement is implemented between NASA and the
    Intercosmos Council of the USSR Academy of Sciences.

o   The Agreement establishes Joint Working Groups (JWGs) in
    five areas.  All have met at least four times:

    US/USSR Space Biology and Medicine JWG met in August, 1987
    and December, 1989, in the USSR; in September, 1988 and
    1990, in the US.

    US/USSR Solar System Exploration JWG met in December, 1987
    and November, 1989, in the USSR; in November, 1988 and
    October, 1990, in the US.

    US/USSR Space Astronomy & Astrophysics JWG met in April,
    1988 and April, 1990, in the US; in April, 1989 and April,
    1991, in Moscow.

    US-USSR Solar-Terrestrial Physics JWG met in April, 1988,
    and May, 1990, in the US; in April, 1989, and May, 1991, in
    Moscow.

    US/USSR Earth Sciences JWG met in May, 1988 and July, 1990,
    in the USSR; in July, 1989, in the US.

o   A total of 16 specific joint projects were originally
    listed in the Annex to the 1987 Space Agreement covering
    the five disciplines listed above.  Additional joint
    projects may be added to the Annex by mutual agreement
    through an exchange of diplomatic notes.

o   An amendment to the agreement was concluded May 31, 1988,
    during the Reagan-Gorbachev Moscow Summit.  Two items were
    added to the annex list of cooperative opportunities:
    exchange of flight opportunities for scientific instruments
    on each other's spacecraft and exchange of results of
    independent national studies of future unmanned solar
    system exploration missions.  The latter involve a solar
    probe, Mercury orbiter, Mars Rover/Sample Return, and lunar
    orbiters/lunar outpost.  The first exchange of study
    results (Mars and Moon) took place in November 1988.



Specific Bilateral Activities Already in Progress


o   Mars Observer Communications Relay for USSR's 1994 and 1996
    Mars Missions:  NASA has accepted a Soviet proposal to fly
    a French-built transponder on Mars Observer to enable the
    US mission to serve as a communications relay for the
    planned 1994 and 1996 Soviet Mars balloon, small station,
    penetrator, and rover missions.

o   DSN Tracking of the Phobos Landers:  NASA provided Deep
    Space Network position tracking of the Phobos landers, and
    US scientists participated on Phobos science teams.
    Although communication with Phobos-1 and Phobos-2 was lost,
    scientific evaluation of Phobos data continues.  The sides
    continue to analyze date from the mission.

o   NASA Participation in Cosmos Biosat Mission:  Twenty-seven
    experiments were conducted in connection with the Soviet
    Cosmos 1887 biosatellite mission (1987).  Twenty-nine NASA
    science experiments were included on the Biosat mission
    launched September 1989.  The U.S. will also participate in
    the next mission, which is planned for 1992.

o   U.S. Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) on a Soviet
    Meteor-3 Spacecraft:  NASA and the USSR signed an agreement
    on July 25, 1990, to fly NASA's TOMS on a Soviet Meteor-3
    spacecraft in August, 1991.  The objective of this project
    is to continue the availability of global ozone data to
    assess important environmental phenomena such as the
    Antarctic ozone hole.

o   U.S. X-Ray All Sky Monitor and X-Ray Polarimeter on the
    Soviet Spectrum-X-Gamma Mission:  NASA is exploring the
    feasibility of flying an x-ray All Sky Monitor and an x-ray
    Polarimeter on the Soviet Spectrum-X-Gamma high-energy
    astrophysics mission in 1993/94.

o   Telemedicine Spacebridge for Armenia:  The spacebridge,
    linked US and Soviet hospitals in 1989 to permit medical
    consultation to assist with the longer-term consequences of
    the Armenian earthquake, and was extended to cover injuries
    from the train explosion in Ufa.  Comsat and Intelsat
    provided satellite transponders free of charge.  Plans are
    for an 18-month follow-on demonstration project starting
    March 1991.

o   Soviet KONUS Gamma-Ray Burst Instrument:  NASA has accepted
    in principle a Soviet proposal to fly a gamma-ray burst
    instrument, KONUS, on the US WIND spacecraft, scheduled for
    launch in 1992.

o   U.S. Heavy Nuclei Collectors on Mir Space Station:  In
    1991, the Soviets will fly heavy nuclei collectors on the
    exterior surface of Mir with the goal of investigating both
    the elemental and isotopic composition of ultra-heavy
    cosmic ray nuclei and detecting significant numbers of the
    heaviest nuclei, such as uranium, thorium and plutonium, in
    cosmic rays.





                                International Relations Division
                                NASA Headquarters
                                July 1991
 

Article         1552
From: [email protected]
Newsgroups: clari.tw.space,clari.news.military,clari.news.urgent
Subject: Bush, Gorbachev agree on astronaut-cosmonaut exchange
Date: 31 Jul 91 20:47:34 GMT
  
	MOSCOW (UPI) -- In an unprecedented exchange, a Soviet cosmonaut will
fly aboard a U.S. shuttle and a NASA astronaut will pay a visit to the
Russian Mir space station under a summit agreement announced by the
White House Wednesday.

	The exchange, one of several space-related agreements accepted by
President Bush and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, will be focused
on medical research aimed at learning more about how humans adapt to
weightlessness, data critical for future long-term flights to Mars and
beyond.

	While the White House did not announce a timetable for the exchange
missions, it is believed that a Soviet cosmonaut may blast off aboard
the shuttle Columbia in May 1993 for a planned 13-day Spacelab life
sciences research mission similar to one conducted aboard Columbia in
June.

	In return, an American astronaut will be launched aboard a Soyuz
rocket for a long-duration visit to the Soviet Mir space station, in
orbit since 1986 and currently manned by cosmonauts Anatoly Artsebarsky
and Sergei Krikalev.

	In a statement, NASA said the space fliers involved in the swap would
train ``at appropriate U.S. and Soviet facilities, exchange medical
equipment for flight (and establish) a telecommunications linnk between
appropriate facilities of the two sides for use during the missions.''

	The resulting research will ``advance current efforts to standardize
in-flight medical procedures, which would improve comparability of data
taken by each side,'' the statement said.

	Cosmonauts currently are spending up to six months at a time aboard
Mir, although Musa Manarov spent a full year aboard the orbital outpost
in 1987-88. Current plans call for Krikalev to repeat that feat because
of budget constraints that have forced the Soviets to cancel an October
flight that would have brought him home after six months.

	``NASA and its counterpart organizations in the Soviet Union
recognize the value of bringing U.S. instrumentation and U.S. research
approaches to some joint life science work,'' John Logsdon, a space
policy expert in Washington, said in an interview earlier this year.

	``This astronaut-cosmonaut exchange is actually the first step in a
long-term joint effort in research in long-duration human flight.''

	Learning more about how to endure long periods of weightlessness is a
key element in planning any future missions to Mars, which could take
more than two years to complete.

	Soviet cosmonauts conduct extensive medical research aboard Mir as do
American astronauts aboard NASA's shuttle. But Americans have not had a
long-duration space flight since the Skylab program in the 1970s.

	``The point of doing this (exchange) is more than symbolic,'' Logsdon
said. ``Sure, there is a symbolic element in the exchange of crews
between the United States and the Soviet Union, but there is also a very
valid scientific purpose.

	``The Soviet Union is interested in improving the quality of its life
science work aboard its space station and wants to tap into U.S.
research approaches and U.S. technical capabilities in life sciences.
That's the reason why an M.D. or some sort of person like that is the
desired person to go aboard Mir.''

	In other space-related summit agreements, the United States and the
Soviet Union agreed to:

	--Consult on civil space issues, such as the dangers of space debris,
and to discuss other cooperative ventures that are not covered by other
agreements.

	--To share space-based environmental data and to meet on a regular
basis to develop ways to monitor environmental changes from orbit.

	The previous high point in U.S.-Soviet space cooperation came in July
1975 when three astronauts aboard an Apollo capsule linked up with two
cosmonauts for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.

	During that mission, the space fliers visited each other inside their
respective spaceships, but both crews took off and landed on their own.

	Since then, American and Soviet space officials have quietly
discussed closer ties between the superpower space programs, including
the possibility of astronaut-cosmonaut exchanges.

	``We've been talking off and on with the Soviet Union, not very
publicly, for a decade, almost, about exploring space together,''
Logsdon said. ``Here is a very tangible first step in working together
to get the information for the long voyages out to Mars. This is clearly
a first step in that direction.''

Article: 11232
From: [email protected] (Bruce Watson)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Space Shuttle to MIR??
Date: 15 Jun 92 20:20:52 GMT
Organization: Alpha Science Computer Network, Denver, Co.
 
In article <[email protected]+
[email protected] (Ted W Morrison) writes: 

+off a campaign gimic by talking about sending a shuttle flight to
+rendezvous with MIR.  Does anyone know any more about this?  Could
+such a flight be feasible given the short time period?  
 
In yesterday's Denver Post there is a reprint of a Washington Post
article about a possible Russia-US hookup. It says that the
administration is considering a Shuttle rendezvous with Mir to
symbolize the end of the Cold War. But is only one of several options
under discussion for a possible announcement at this week's summit
between Bush and Yeltsin. 
 
It mentions the two-year $10 million contract that the US would pay
Russia for the rights to inspect and evaluate Russian hardware and the
possible relaxation of the State Department prohibition on the launch
of US built satellites on Russian boosters. 
 
Also considered is the use of a Soyuz-TM spacecraft for use as a
"lifeboat" for space station Freedom. 
-- 
 __________________________________________________________________________  
|wats@scicom |   Oh! I get it now. Top Of Form doesn't mean top-of-form;   |
|Bruce Watson|               it means TOP OF FORM!                         |

Article: 2455
From: [email protected]
Newsgroups: clari.news.gov.usa,clari.news.gov.international,clari.tw.space
Subject: U.S. satellite to be launched on Russian rocket
Date: Wed, 17 Jun 92 17:03:36 PDT
 
	WASHINGTON (UPI) -- An American-built satellite will be
launched from Russia next month and U.S. astronauts eventually could
fly on Soyuz rockets, a sign of Russian-U.S. cooperation made official
Wednesday by Presidents George Bush and Boris Yeltsin. 

	The newly signed statement on space cooperation said the two
countries would work together on space exploration, development of an
orbiting space station, applications of space, and use of space technology. 

	The agreement clears the way for an Inmarsat satellite to be
launched from Russia in July. 

	``This would mark the first time a U.S.-manufactured
commercial satellite would be launched from Russia,'' said a White
House statement. 

	NASA was awarding a contract to the Russian aerospace firm
NPO-Energia, which the White House said was primarily to study the
Russian Soyuz-TM rocket as an ``interim'' crew return vehicle for the
proposed space station Freedom. 

	The agreement was to be signed in Washington Thursday in a
ceremony at the National Air and Space Museum. 

	In addition, 1993 missions could include Russian cosmonauts on
a U.S. Space Shuttle crew and American astronauts on a flight to the
Soviet-built Mir space station. 

	A rendezvous-docking mission involving the Space Shuttle and
Mir could take place in 1994 or 1995. 

	A May 1972 agreement between the United States and the Soviet
Union led to a nine-day Apollo-Soyuz joint mission involving American
astronauts and Soviet cosmonauts in July of 1975.

	The two spacecraft met in space and docked for two days,
during which time the two crews conducted several experiments
utilizing the equipment and personnel from both countries. 

Article: 2456
From: [email protected] (DOUGLAS A. LEVY, UPI Science Writer)
Newsgroups: clari.tw.aerospace,clari.tw.space,clari.news.hot.east_europe
Subject: Russian aerospace firm wins U.S. contract
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 92 16:35:49 PDT
 
	WASHINGTON (UPI) -- U.S. and Russian officials signed a
contract Thursday to study the use of Russian spacecraft in the Space
Station Freedom project. 

	The $1 million, one-year deal between NASA and the Russian
aerospace firm NPO-Energia is the first formal cooperation between
U.S. and Russian space scientists since the July 1975 Apollo-Soyuz
rendezvous in space. 

	``By stepping off this planet and reaching for the stars, our
two space programs can be an inspiring symbol to the world of our
new-found friendship and commitment to peace,'' said NASA
Administrator Daniel Goldin at the signing ceremony. 

	Russian Space Agency Director-General Yuri Koptev said his
country's aerospace industry ``will do everything in our power to
convince our American partners that we are a reliable partner.'' 

	``Five years ago we could not imagine that people involved in
building arms could be meeting (today) to discuss space exploration
that would benefit not only our countries but mankind as a whole,''
Koptev said. 

	In addition to studying whether the Russian Soyuz-TM spacecraft 
could be used as a crew rescue vehicle for the space station project, the 
contract provides for study of Russian automated rendezvous and docking 
technology already in use with the MIR space station. 

	NASA also hoped to conduct some research projects on MIR to
support the U.S. space station. 

	The contract was signed in front of an exhibit on the
Apollo-Soyuz mission at the National Air and Space Museum.
Congressional supporters of the space program and NASA officials were
among those witnessing the ceremony. 

	Presidents Bush and Boris Yeltsin signed a space cooperation
accord Wednesday, which opened the door to the NASA contract and to
the first-ever launch of an American-built commercial satellite from
Russia next month. 

	The document said Russia and the United States would work
together on space exploration, development of an orbiting space
station, applications of space and use of space technology. 

	Part of the agreement includes planning international missions
in 1993, with a Russian cosmonaut flying on board the U.S. space
shuttle and an American astronaut taking part in a Russian mission to
the MIR space station. 

	A rendezvous-docking mission involving the space shuttle and
Mir could take place in 1994 or 1995. 

	A May 1972 agreement between the United States and the Soviet
Union led to the nine-day Apollo-Soyuz joint mission in July 1975. The
two spacecraft met in space and docked for two days, during which time
the two crews conducted several experiments utilizing the equipment
and personnel from both countries. 

Article: 2457
From: [email protected] (United Press International)
Newsgroups: clari.news.gov.usa,clari.tw.aerospace,clari.tw.space
Subject: Quote of the Day
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 92 21:05:32 PDT
 
	NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin, signing the first formal
cooperation agreement between U.S. and Russian space scientists since
1975: 

	``By stepping off this planet and reaching for the stars, our
two space programs can be an inspiring symbol to the world of our
new-found friendship and commitment to peace.'' 

Article: 1232
From: [email protected] (Peter E. Yee)
Newsgroups: sci.space.news
Subject: NASA ratifies first contract with Russian space program [Release 92-91]
Date: 18 Jun 92 22:14:55 GMT
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
 
David W. Garrett
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.            June 18, 1992
(Phone:  202/453-8400)
 
RELEASE:   92-91
 
NASA RATIFIES FIRST CONTRACT WITH RUSSIAN SPACE PROGRAM
 
	NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin and Yuri Koptev, the
Director General of the Russian Space Agency, today formally ratified
the first contract between NASA and a Russian aerospace firm,
NPO-Energia.  The contract is for the study of applications of Russian
space technology to the Space Station Freedom program. 
 
	The contract is for an initial period of 1 year with a value
of $1 million and will initially cover three general areas: 
 
	o  The possible use of the Russian Soyuz TM manned spacecraft
and the Progress transport spacecraft in the Space Station Freedom
program.  Of immediate NASA interest is the potential applicability of
the Soyuz craft as an interim Assured Crew Return Vehicle. 
 
	o  The possible use of a Russian automated rendezvous and
docking system known as APAS.  This system is now used with the Russian
MIR space station currently in orbit and has the potential of serving
as a universal docking system.
 
	o  The possible use of the MIR space station for long lead-time
life sciences experiments in support of the Space Station Freedom program.
 
	The formal contract ratification follows a series of technical
meetings and negotiations over the past 3 months between NASA
officials and their Russian counterparts at NPO-Energia. 
 
	Located in a Moscow suburb known as Kaliningrad, NPO-Energia
is a quasi-independent company of some 30,000 employees responsible
for design and development of many of the key elements of the Russian
manned space program.  Its current Director is Yuri Semenov, the chief
designer of the Russian Buran space shuttle. 

Debra Rahn                         July 9, 1992
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.


RELEASE:  92-106

        NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin and National Space
Council Executive Secretary Brian Dailey today will lead an
interagency delegation to Germany to visit the European Space
Operations Center, then to Moscow to gain a first hand
understanding of Russia's space program.

        Plans for the delegation's trip to Russia follow
discussions between Vice President Dan Quayle and Russian
President Boris Yeltsin, during his recent visit to Washington,
D.C.

        The delegation leaves Washington this afternoon and
returns July 17.

European Space Operations Center

        This Friday, July 10, the delegation will participate in a
ceremony to mark the expected encounter of Giotto, an European
Space Agency (ESA) spacecraft, with the comet Grigg-Skjellerup.

        In 1986, Giotto returned to Earth excellent images of
Halley's comet during its rendezvous with Earth. While Giotto's
camera was damaged in the encounter, ESA devised a procedure to
continue its science-gathering capability and steered it toward
Grigg-Skjellerup, a comet located 134 million miles from Earth.

        The ceremony, hosted by ESA Director General Jean- Marie
Luton, will take place at the European Space Operation Center in
Darmstadt, Germany.

        The delegation will also meet with Luton to discuss joint
programs.  NASA has extensive cooperative agreements with ESA and
European national space programs, including Space Station Freedom,
the U.S.- French Topex-Poseidon oceanographic mission scheduled
for launch in August, the U.S.-Italian Tethered Satellite mission
and ESA's EURECA spacecraft on the next Space Shuttle and the
German D-2 Spacelab mission.  Russian Visit

        On Saturday, July 11, the delegation travels to Moscow to
begin several days of meeting with key Russian space officials.
The delegation will also tour facilities in the area that are
involved in human and robotic space activities, including NPO
Energia, NPO Energomash, Khurnichev, KP Salyut, Babakhin,
Lavotchkin, NPO Zvezda and Star City.

        "The primary importance of the trip to Moscow is to get a
first hand look at the Russian space program and to begin the
process of building a long term relationship," Goldin said.

        "I believe that it is important, that as we build this
partnership with Russia, we provide opportunities for U.S.
industry.  Clearly a strong partnership exists between our nation,
Canada, Europe and Japan. This partnership was builtover decades
of mutual cooperation and trust.  The time has come to begin to
develop similar bonds with Russia," Goldin added.



Russian Space Agreement

        On June 18, Goldin and Yuri Koptev, Director General of
the Russian Space Agency, ratified the first contract between NASA
and a Russian aerospace firm, NPO Energia, to study the possible
use of the Soyuz TM as an emergency interim spacecraft for Space
Station Freedom.

        The contract also includes funding to examine the Russian
automated rendezvous and docking system known as APAS and the
possible use of the MIR space station for life science
experiments.

        The formal ratification of the contract concluded three
months of technical meetings and negotiations between NASA and NPO
Energia.
 

Article: 2549
From: [email protected] (JEFF BERLINER)
Newsgroups: clari.news.gov.international,clari.tw.space
Subject: U.S., Russia plan joint space projects
Date: Thu, 16 Jul 92 10:40:40 PDT
 
	MOSCOW (UPI) -- U.S. and Russian space authorities Thursday
announced plans for joint space projects that will launch a Russian on
a U.S. space flight next year and put an American on the Russian space
station the following year. 

	``We have tentatively set a flight date of October of 1993 for
the cosmonaut on the space shuttle,'' NASA administrator Daniel Goldin
said at a news conference in Moscow. 

	To explore further space cooperation, the head of the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration signed a $1 million contract with
the Russian space agency for a detailed study of using Russian space
technology in the U.S. space program. 

	The announcements at a joint U.S.-Russian space agency news
conference followed a week of meetings resulting from the space
cooperation agreement signed last month by Presidents Bush and Boris
Yeltsin. 

	The contract gives the Russian space agency much-needed
foreign currency, with the prospect of earning more, while opening the
door to possible American use of Russian technology in areas where the
Russian program is more advanced than the American space developments.

	The agreements represent a major step ``to move our
cooperation from theoretical cooperation to practical cooperation,''
said Yuri Koptev, director of the Russian space agency. 

	He said U.S. and Russian officials had agreed to a docking of the 
American space shuttle at the Russian space station Mir in 1994 or 1995. 

	An American astronaut also will be trained to join the Mir
crew, performing experiments, walking in space and spending three to
five months living and working in the Russian space station, Koptev
said, possibly flying there on the U.S. space shuttle and then staying. 

	The contract will help advance these projects and looks ahead
to the day when the United States hopes to have its own space station,
nicknamed Freedom, circling the globe as a permanent space laboratory.
Mir means peace in Russian. 

	The contract is between NASA, the Russian space agency and
Energia, the industrial and scientific company that carries out
Russian space agency projects. 

	Goldin said the contract involves studying three projects:

	--Using the Soviet-built Soyuz spacecraft as an interim rescue
vehicle for the Freedom space station, 

	--Using Russian automatic rendezvous and docking systems for
the U.S. space shuttle flight to Mir, 

	--Conducting life science experiments for U.S. scientists on
Mir to help prepare for the Freeedom launch. 

	``Mir is a very logical stepping stone to Space Station Freedom,'' 
Goldin said. ``Mir is a very valuable step for our learning.'' 

	Koptev said he hoped the Americans found enough value in the
Soviet space developments -- now under Russian control -- that the
contract would lead to purchases and further mutual benefits that
earned cash for the Russian side. 

	Russia has the world's only orbiting space station, Mir, launched 
by the Soviets in 1986 as a permanently inhabited work station. 

	Energia administrator Yuri Semenov said Mir would remain
operational through 1995 and be replaced by Mir-2 in 1996. 

	Goldin said the various U.S.-Russian projects will be
integrated into NASA's existing plans, and Koptev said it was
premature to talk about a joint space program despite the ambitious
for outer space cooperation.  The officials said both countries
intended to maintain their own national space programs. 

	Koptev said he has been waiting 17 years for just such
cooperation.  And Goldin described himself ``an old Cold Warrior'' who
has met ``many other old Cold Warriors from the other side since I've
been here'' and they were now all cooperating for ``the promotion of 
peace.'' 

Bill Livingstone
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
July 20, 1992



RELEASE:  92-116


     Following a 7-day trip to Russia and the Ukraine, NASA Administrator
Daniel S. Goldin today announced plans for the United States and Russia to
implement the agreements Presidents Bush and Yeltsin announced on June 17,
1992.

     Goldin said significant progress was made in developing a plan to carry
out a wide range of projects, including expansion of cooperation in life
sciences and global change research, the exchange of an American astronaut and
Russian cosmonaut, and a Space Shuttle rendezvous and docking with the Russian
Mir space station.

     "In our relationship with Russia, we need to start slowly and deliberately
to build a strong foundation of cooperation," Goldin said. "In this way we will
ensure that what we do together will be successful, both technically and
scientifically."

     Goldin said much had been learned on the interagency trip, which was
jointly led by National Space Council Executive Secretary Brian Dailey, and
which was agreed upon by Vice President Quayle and President Yeltsin in a
meeting last month.  The delegation included Assistant Secretary of the Air
Force Martin Faga and representatives from the National Security Council, State
Department and the Central Intelligence Agency.

     "The delegation had the opportunity to take a closer look at Soyuz-TM, the
Russian docking system and at their human spaceflight operation," Goldin said.
"We also learned a lot about the capabilities of the Mir space station and
discussed ways to expand critical life science research and global change
research."

     Goldin said both the United States and Russia agreed to encourage private
companies to expand their search for new commercial space business and agreed
to facilitate appropriate contacts.

     Both countries also agreed that the docking mission planned in 1994 with
Russia would highlight biomedical science.

     NASA and the Russian Space Agency agreed -- pending an appropriate review
and approval of the governments of the two countries -- to continue the
activities now underway by the five working groups established under the 1987
joint agreement with the Russian Academy of Sciences. Additional initiatives
will be undertaken by the Working Group of Space Biology and Medicine which
will now concern itself with life support systems.

     The agreement also included:

     ** study the possible use of Mir for long lead-time life sciences
research;

     ** establish a new working group to develop a plan to enhance cooperation
on global change research (Mission to Planet Earth);

     ** recommend cooperative biomedical research projects for future missions,
including the missions involving the exchange of a Russian cosmonaut and an
American astronaut and the Space Shuttle/Mir rendezvous and docking mission;

     ** study the feasibility of further enhancing the biomedical capabilities
on Mir using instruments from the U.S.; and

     ** study the possibility of closed-loop life support experiments with
humans over different periods of time and to define the requirements for long
duration missions.

     Goldin said he also discussed the acquisition by the United States of a
small Russian lander to carry U.S. experiments that would be one of three
landers flown on the Russian Mars '94 mission;

     The Russian and Ukraine trip followed a series of meetings between
President Bush and President Yeltsin, during the June summit in Washington when
they discussed a series of space initiatives.

     At the summit, Bush and Yeltsin signed the Joint Statement on Cooperation
in Space. Goldin and Yuri Koptev, Director of the Russian Space Agency, also
ratified the 1992 United States-Russian Space Cooperation Agreement.

Article: 2602
From: [email protected] (UPI)
Newsgroups: clari.local.wisconsin,clari.tw.space
Subject: Cosmonauts want to share space know-how with United States
Date: Mon, 3 Aug 92 8:40:13 PDT
 
	OSHKOSH, Wis. (UPI) -- The space race between the United
States and Russia doesn't exist anymore, but the Soviet Union's 
space program is alive and ready to share their technology, Russia
cosmonauts at the 40th annual Experimental Aircraft Association's
Fly-In Convention said Sunday. 

	Cosmonauts Sergei Krikalev and Anatoly Artsebarsky, joined by
design engineer Alexander Cherniavsky, said they wanted to share
know-how with American astronauts. 

	``There are economic difficulties in every country now,''
Krikalev said.  ``The space program needs a lot of money.  Improved
cooperation between countries would improve the possibilities in space.'' 

	Krikalev was often in the news during the breakup of the
Soviet Union, as he spent 4 1/2 months longer in space than he was
supposed to due to his county's turmoil. 

	He was launched into space in May 1991 and was scheduled to be
replaced in orbit last October.  But he was forced to remain in the
Soviet space station Mir, when for political and economic reasons
another flight engineer did not blast off. 

	``We were planning to be there six months, but I had to stay
for 10 1/2 months,'' Krikalev said.  ``We knew about all the changes in
the country by television, radio, and newspapers, which we received
from a supply craft. 

	``It's very difficult to explain the feeling.  After we
landed, we were disappointed with the events in our country.  It's
difficult to comprehend the situation.'' 

	Cherniavsky, one of the designers of Mir, said the Soviet
space program has worked together with other countries, but none with
as much experience and equipment as the United States.  He said he
would look forward to working with the American space program. 

	``It will be very interesting to cooperate with American
researchers,'' Cherniavsky said through an interpreter.  ``We have worked 
together with others.  They do not have the experience of your country.'' 

	Artsebarsky, who commanded space missions that carried paying
customers from Germany, Japan, Britain and Austria aboard the Mir,
said researchers have learned a great deal from the former Soviet
Union's extended mission, and he expects the Russian space program
will continue. 

	Krikalev agreed that the political upheaval would not put a
stop to the Russian space program.  He said when the Russians send up
Mir II, it would be great to work with the United States. 

	``My idea - and most of the space program supports this idea -
is to communicate with Americans because with the American technology
and people, together with our technology and people, it will give us
the possibility to provide a very big space station,'' Krikalev said.
``Such a program will save a lot of money for Americans.'' 

Article: 1528
Newsgroups: talk.politics.space
From: [email protected]
Subject: Recent U.S./Russian Space Agreements
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: NASA/JSC/GM2, Space Shuttle Program Office
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1992 15:50:51 GMT
 
               These are the terms of the agreement on space cooperation
          between Boris Yeltsin and President Bush.
 
                  RUSSIAN - U.S. AGREEMENT ON PEACEFUL USE OF SPACE
 
               The Russian Federation and the United States of America,
          henceforth known as the parties,
               taking account of the role of these two states in the
          peaceful research into and exploitation of space;
               desiring to put the results of space research and
          exploitation to use for the benefit of the peoples of the two
          states;
               taking account of the parties' mutual interest in
          opportunities for the commercial use of space technologies in the
          common interest;
               taking cognizance of the provisions of the treaty on
          principles for the activity of states researching and exploiting
          space, including the Moon and other heavenly bodies, and other
          multilateral agreements on space research and exploitation in
          which both states are participants;
               expressing their satisfaction with the results of
          cooperation achieved in the fields of astronomy and astrophysics,
          Earth sciences, space physiology and medicine, research into the
          solar system and the physics of the relationship between the Sun
          and Earth and their desire to continue and expand cooperation in
          these and other fields,
               have agreed the following:
 
                                      ARTICLE I

               The parties cooperate through their executive organizations
          in the fields of the science of space, space research, the
          application of space equipment and space technologies for civil
          purposes on the basis of equal rights, reciprocity and mutual
          benefit.

               Cooperation may include projects for carrying out manned and
          unmanned spaceflights, ground-based work and experiments and
          other kinds of activity in fields such as:
               - monitoring the Earth's environment from space;
               - carrying out flights by the Mir station and the Shuttle,
                 using Russian cosmonauts and American astronauts;
               - ensuring the safety of space flights;
               - space biology and medicine;
               - feasibility studies for joint work in other fields, such
                 as researching Mars.

                                     ARTICLE II

               For the purposes of developing and implementing cooperation
          as envisaged by Article I of the present agreement, and
          realization of specific activities in the fields enumerated in
          Article I of the present agreement, the parties hereby designate
          as their lead executive organizations the Russian Space Agency
          and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
          respectively for the Russian Federation and the United States of
          America.
               Each joint project may be the subject of a special written
          agreement between the designated executive organizations defining
          the nature and framework of the project, individual and several
          obligations of the designated executive orgganizations pertaining
          to the project, financial accords should such exist, and the
          procedure for protecting intellectual property in accordance with
          the provisions of the present agreement.

                                     ARTICLE III

               Joint work within the framework of the present agreement is
          to be carried out in accordance with the national laws and
          regulations of each of the parties and within the limits of
          existing funds.

                                     ARTICLE IV
               The parties will hold annual consultations on cooperation in
          civil space research and exploitation in order to provide
          government-level review machinery for the bilateral cooperation
          being implemented in accordance with the present agreement and to
          exchange views on various issues concerning the mastery ofspace.
          These consultations may also serve as the main channel for
          submitting proposals for new activities within the framework of
          the present agreement.

                                      ARTICLE V

               The present agreement is concluded without detriment to the
          cooperation of each of the parties with other states and
          international organizations.

                                     ARTICLE VI

               These parties ensure appropriate and effective protection of
          intellectual property created or granted within the framework of
          the present agreement and agreements concluded in accordance with
          Article II of the present agreement.  Where these agreements
          provide for the distribution of rights to intellectual property,
          this is to be done in accordance with the appendix which forms an
          integral part of the present agreement.  In as far as it is
          necessary and expedient, such agreements may contain diverse
          provisions for the protection and distribution of intellectual
          property.

                                     ARTICLE VII

               The present agreement comes into force from the date of
          signing by the parties and remains in force for five years.  It  
          may be extended for further five-year periods by means of the
          exchange of diplomatic notes.  The validity of the present
          agreement may be cancelled by either party by means of sending
          six months written notification through diplomatic channels to
          the other party.

               Effected in the City of Washington on 17 June 1992 in two
          copies in Russian and English, both of which texts have equal
          force.
 
               The Russian Federation and United States have reached an
          agreement on steps to expand cooperation in space research and
          exploitation, an agreement on space.  A new agreement on space
          that puts cooperation between the two countries on a new footing
          reflecting their new relationship was signed June 17.

               - the new agreement provides a broad framework for
          activities by the Russian Space Agency and NASA in developing new
          projects covering a wide field: space science, space research,
          the application of space equipment and space technologies.
               - cooperation may include projects for manned and unmanned
          spaceflights, ground-based work and experiments and also other
          important activities, specifically monitoring the Earth's
          environment from space, carrying out flights by the Mir space
          station and the reusable spacecraft, using Russian cosmonauts and
          American astronauts, ensuring the safety of space flights and
          space biology and medicine.
               - the clause on annual consultations at the level of Deputy
          Minister of Foreign Affairs/Assistant Secretary of State -- a new
          mechanism for reviewing relations between the two countries in
          the civil space field at a high government level -- is an
          important part of the agreement.
               - joint assessment of space technology.  Both governments
          also state that detailed assessments will be made of the
          potential for use of space technology.
               - NASA is offering the Russian "Energiya" Scientific
          Production Association a contract; the main subject for analysis
          is the Russian Soyuz-TM spacecraft as a version of a module for
          the return to Earth of the crew of the Freedom space station.
               - other important areas for assessment are the possibility
          of using the automatic approach and docking system developed in
          Russia for NASA flights, the use of the Mir space station for
          long-term medical experiments and also other NASA uses for
          Russian equipment.
               - commercial space activities.  Both governments have also
          agreed to steps aiming to encourgage private companies to expand
          the list ofnew commercial opportunities in the space business.
               - the United States has accepted from the Russian Federation
          an invitation to American business people to visit Russia.  The
          Ministry of Trade will lead a delegation from American aerospace
          firms being gathered together for a visit to Russia in the near
          future on a mission to appraise space technology. 
 
               - the Russian Federation has accepted from the United States
          an invitation to send to the United States a delegation ofo
          business people to meet their counterparts in the American
          private aerospace sector.
               - space launches.  In affirmation of its support for the
          economic reform in Russia, thje United States has decided to view
          positively the decision expected in July 1992 of the Inmarsat
          organization to launch an Inmarsat-3 satellite from Russian
          territory.
               - the Inmarsat-3 satellites are mainly manufactured in the
          United States.  When Inmarsat makes the decision to launch the
          satellite, this will be the first time that a commercial
          satellite manufactured in the United Statres will be launched
          from Russian territory.
               - Russia and the United States agreed to hold talks on the
          elaboration of a bilateral agreement on technological quarantees
          for the Inmarsat-3 satellite that will make the issue of an
          export license by the United States possible.
               - the Russian Federation and the United States support the
          application of market principles in international competition in
          the sphere of offering launch services, including not permitting
          improper methods of conducting trade.
               - taking account of the current process of Russia switching
          to a market economu and in order to make possible the
          consideration of further proposals relating to the launch by
          Russia of American satellites, the Russian Federation and the
          United States agreed to enter without delay into internation
          talks to elaborate international guiding principles relating to
          competition in the sphere of launching commercial satellites.
               - with regard to Inmarsat, the Russian Federation also
          assured the United States that the terms of the Russian
          proposal,mk including prices, correspond to the terms which would
          normally be proposed on the international market.
 
                              Cosmonaut Activity Report
 
               Cosmonauts Alexandr Victorenko and Alexandr Kaleriy per-
          formed an EVA on July 8 to install two available gyrodynes.  They
          remained in open space for 2 hours and 3 minutes preparing 5 out
          of 8 gyrodynes (4 on each Kvant module) for replacement or repair
          by the next crew.  At present, the space station Mir is limping
          in space as only three gyrosdynes are insufficient to control the
          orientation of the massive complex.
 
               On July 26, 1992, a crew composed of Anatoliy Solovyov,
          Sergey Avdeyev, and a French "spationaut" Michel Tognini will be
          launched to replace the present crew.  Tognini will return to
          Earth with Victorenko and Kaleriy after 7 or 8 days.  The two
          Russian cosmonauts have been working on board the Mir since
          March, 1992.
 
               Apparently Solovyov, who is an experienced cosmonaut and an
          excellent engineer, will be sent up to take care of repairs to
          the floundering space station.  The Mir has been in space for
          over six years and, having been used almost continuously, has had
          most of its important parts replaced, is some cases, more than
          once.  It must be kept in mind that the initial plan for the Mir
          was to remain in space not longer than two years. 
 
Subj:   US/RUSSIA NEWS ITEM
 
{from UPI Wireservice Reports}
US, Russia Plan Joint Space Missions

   Russia and the US have announced ambitious plans for joint missions
in space,  closing yet another chapter in the Cold War. 
   A Russian cosmonaut will fly on the US space shuttle, probably in
October 1993. In  1994 or 1995, an American astronaut will join a
mission to the Soviet Union's Mir space station and Mir will dock with
the US shuttle. 
   The Mir station, manned almost continuously since 1986, is the
focal point of  Russia's ambitious and expensive space program. 
   The US is focusing on the shuttle and plans for a $30 billion
orbiting Freedom space station. 
   "We have taken a long time enhancing and perfecting our military
capabilities. Now  we can employ them for the promotion of peace and
the benefit of all humankind," Daniel Golden, head of NASA, told a
Moscow news conference Thursday. "I believe we are  setting the stage
for fruitful and mutually beneficial relationships between our 2 
countries." 
   Yuri Koptyev, director of Russia's space agency, says the joint
space ventures are  the result of agreements between Russian President
Boris Yeltsin and President Bush at  a summit in Washington last month. 
   The 2 countries also will cooperate on technical issues.
   The Soviet Union launched the space race in 1957, when it sent its
first Sputnik satellite into orbit.  Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was
the first man in space in 1961 aboard Vostok 1. 
   The US program initially concentrated on catching up with and
overtaking the Soviet Union, and the US landed astronauts on the Moon
in 1969.  In July 1975 an American Apollo spacecraft and a Soviet
Soyuz craft conducted the first US/Soviet space linkup.  The crews
worked together for 2 days. 
   And Golden headed a team of US experts who have just visited some
former Soviet space installations. 
   Koptyev says the American cosmonaut selected for the joint mission
will be trained  in Russia before spending 3-5 months on the Mir station. 
   Russia and other members of the Commonwealth of Independent States
are struggling to find the funds to pay for the ambitious space program. 
 
RELEASE:  92-116
GOLDIN ANNOUNCES PLANS TO IMPLEMENT NEW INITIATIVES WITH RUSSIA
 
   Following a 7-day trip to Russia and the Ukraine, NASA
Administrator DanielS. Goldin today announced plans for the United
States and Russia to implement the agreements Presidents Bush and
Yeltsin announced on June 17, 1992. 
 
   Goldin said significant progress was made in developing a plan to
carry out a wide range of projects, including expansion of cooperation
in life sciences and global change research, the exchange of an
American astronaut and Russian cosmonaut, and a Space Shuttle
rendezvous and docking with the Russian Mir space station. 
 
   "In our relationship with Russia, we need to start slowly and
deliberately to build a strong foundation of cooperation," Goldin
said.  "In this way we will ensure that what we do together will be
successful, both technically and scientifically." 
 
   Goldin said much had been learned on the interagency trip, which
was jointly led by National Space Council Executive Secretary Brian
Dailey, and which was agreed upon by Vice President Quayle and
President Yeltsin in a meeting last month. The delegation included
Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Martin Faga and representatives
from the National Security Council, State Department and the Central
Intelligence Agency. 
 
   "The delegation had the opportunity to take a closer look at
Soyuz-TM, the Russian docking system and at their human spaceflight
operation," Goldin said.  "We also learned a lot about the
capabilities of the Mir space station and discussed ways to expand
critical life science research and global change research." 
 
   Goldin said both the United States and Russia agreed to encourage
private companies to expand their search for new commercial space
business and agreed to facilitate appropriate contacts. 
 
   Both countries also agreed that the docking mission planned in 1994
with Russia would highlight biomedical science. 
 
   NASA and the Russian Space Agency agreed -- pending an appropriate
review and approval of the governments of the two countries -- to
continue the activities now underway by the five working groups
established under the 1987 joint agreement with the Russian Academy of
Sciences.  Additional initiatives will be undertaken by the Working
Group of Space Biology and Medicine which will now concern itself with
life support systems. 
 
     The agreement also included:
 
   **  study the possible use of Mir for long lead-time life sciences
research; 
 
   **  establish a new working group to develop a plan to enhance
cooperation on global change research (Mission to Planet Earth); 
 
   **  recommend cooperative biomedical research projects for future
missions, including the missions involving the exchange of a Russian
cosmonaut and an American astronaut and the Space Shuttle/Mir
rendezvous and docking mission; 
 
   **  study the feasibility of further enhancing the biomedical
capabilities on Mir using instruments from the U.S.; and 
 
   **  study the possibility of closed-loop life support experiments
with  humans over different periods of time and to define the
requirements for long duration missions. 
 
   Goldin said he also discussed the acquisition by the United States
of a small Russian lander to carry U.S. experiments that would be one
of three landers flown on the Russian Mars '94 mission; 
 
   The Russian and Ukraine trip followed a series of meetings between
President Bush and President Yeltsin, during the June summit in
Washington when they discussed a series of space initiatives. 
 
   At the summit, Bush and Yeltsin signed the Joint Statement on
Cooperation in Space.  Goldin and Yuri Koptev, Director of the Russian
Space Agency, also ratified the 1992 United States-Russian Space
Cooperation Agreement. 
 
-- Ken Jenks, NASA/JSC/GM2, Space Shuttle Program Office
      [email protected]  (713) 483-4368
 
     "NASA turns dreams into realities and makes science fiction
      into fact." -- Daniel S. Goldin, NASA Administrator


Article: 1507
Newsgroups: talk.politics.space
From: [email protected] (Allen W. Sherzer)
Subject: One Small Step for a Space Activist... (Vol 3 No 7)
Organization: Evil Geniuses for a Better Tomorrow
Date: Fri, 10 Jul 1992 09:32:27 GMT
 
           One Small Step for a Space Activist...
                             By
                  Tim Kyger & Allen Sherzer
 
We won World War III!   We helped secure the liberty of those in Eastern
Europe and in the former Soviet Union. Now as we approach a new relationship
with our former adversaries we should be offering value for value: Trade and
commerce, not aid and assistance.  The Russians have skills and goods we need.
 
To illustrate: their space program offers space suit gloves, more flexible 
under pressure than any American alternative. They perfected this technology
because they had to in order to maintain Mir. The Russians supply Mir using
unmanned Progress vehicles which have flown some 60 times and have never
failed to automatically dock with Mir. This automatic rendezvous and docking
capability would be useful for resupplying Freedom, or in carrying out other
unmanned missions.
 
Recently, President Yeltsin and President Bush signed an agreement that will
send Russian cosmonauts on a U.S. Shuttle Mission. Also U.S. astronauts will
be visiting Mir, probably staying on board for 90 days or longer.  An Shuttle
mission sometime in 1994 or 1995 will rendezvous and dock with Mir. NASA,
meanwhile, has entered into a contract to evaluate the use of Soyuz-TM for the
Freedom ACRV and is interested in evaluating the reliability of components
used in Mir to validate the NASA reliability model.
 
Will jobs be lost if we "buy Russian?"  Not if what we're buying is something
that the U.S. needs and currently doesn't make. Freedom's lifeboat is a good
case in point.  NASA has estimated  that it would cost anywhere from $2 to 3
billion to design, build, and procure Station lifeboats.  This would, of
course, be an additional outlay for the overall Station program, already
vulnerable to cuts. Buying Soyuz-TMs will save half or more of this expense
and lower the cost of the program, keeping Space Station viable and thus
saving US aerospace jobs. 
 
President Bush and President Yeltsin, and NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin and 
his Russian Space Agency counterpart, Director-General Yuri Koptev, have 
agreed to unprecedented and far-reaching cooperation.  Consummating that 
agreement and laying the foundation for robust and cost effective space
programs, we should now move forward on Freedom with democratic Russia as a
full partner in this historic endeavor.
 
From the start Freedom has was intended to be an international project. The
space agencies of Japan, Italy, and Canada, as well as the European Space
Agency, are engaged in designing, building, and putting Freedom into 
operation.  If Russia is going to be supplying the lifeboats and other
essentials let's make certain they are recognized as part of the team.
 
The Russians have more to offer Freedom than lifeboats and space suit gloves.
Energia could help to put Freedom into orbit, saving $$, decreasing the
technical risks, and speeding construction, cutting the assembly period from
five years to one year.
 
About four Energia launches would be required to place in orbit the major 
elements of Freedom.  Each Energia launch would also be accompanied by a 
Shuttle carrying astronauts. Working together the time commitment is
dramatically reduced and the costs drop correspondingly.
 
According to Russian space engineers, each 8-strap-on-version Energia flight 
would cost about $500 million.  Together, four Energia flights and four 
Shuttle flights will cost about $14 billion dollars less than using the
Shuttle alone.
 
This approach helps solve some thorny technical problems. Launching larger
chunks of Space Station means more work can be done on the ground and less
construction in space. Use of Energia will allow greater integration testing
and the removal of weight restrictions will greatly ease design and reduce
risk. This is a practical idea, it was developed by the engineers at the Reston
Program Office and will be taken to Moscow by Goldin in early July.
 
We have before us "an insurmountable opportunity" - cooperation in space and
profitable trade with a newly-democratic Russia.  What better way to face the
next millennium, than together in space with our former adversaries? Let's
make the Russians a partner in the international Freedom program. Let's launch
Freedom on Energia.
 
                     Legislative Roundup
                            SSTO

Staffers on the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee attempted to kill the
SDIO Single Stage Rocket Technology Program (home of DC-X and DC-Y) at the end
of June. Space Activists rose to the chalange and in the quickest activation
ever seen put enough pressure on Congress to restore the funding in less than
24 hours! This was so fast that funding was restored before many of the paid
lobbyist had a chance to do anything. This effort not only saved the program
but gave an education to several Congresscritters on the nature of the SSRT
program. This education will make DC-Y easier to sell at the end of this year.
 
Thanks go to Tim Kyger, Geoffrey Tudor, Rep. Rohrabacher (R-CA), Rep. Smith
(R-TX), Chuck Divine, and David Brandt. A special thanks should go to Rep.
John Murtha (D-PA) for agreeing to restore funding. 
 
Things to do:

1. Write Rep. Murtha a letter and thank him for his support of the SSRT
program. We will need him again in a few months to get DC-Y funded. His address
is: Rep. John Murtha, 2423 RHOB, Washington DC 20515-3812.
 
                      Commercial Space

The House Space Subcommittee's commercial space bill (HR-3848) was marked up
by the full committee on July 1. The bill now must go to the full house for
approval. Added to the bill was a provision to allow the government to assume
termination liability for anchor tennancy contracts (and in fact companies can
get loans using this liability as collateral) . This will be key in getting
private companies to do procurement commercially.
 
The bill has been introduced to the Senate by Senators Graham (D-FL) and Mack
(R-FL) as S-2789 but there are currently no co-sponsors. The Policy Committee
of the NSS Chapters Assembly will be working to push this bill in the Senate.
They will be contacting chapters in key states looking for volunteers.
 
If you live in one of these states, please write and meet with your Senator
(or staffer) and ask them to cosponsor this bill: Hollings (D-SC),
Inouye (D-HI), Ford (D-KY), Exon (D-NE), Gore (D-TN), Rockefeller
(D-WV), Bentsen (D-TX), Kerry (D-MA), Breaux (D-LA), Bryan (D-
NE), Robb (D-VA), Danforth (R-MO), Packwood (R-OR), Pressler (R-
SD), Stevens (R-AK), Kasten (R-WI), McCain (R-AZ), Burns (R-MT),
Gorton (R-WA), Lott (R-MS).
-- 
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Allen W. Sherzer | "Giving power and money to government is like giving   |
|  [email protected]     |  whiskey and car keys to teenage boys."                |
+----------------------287 DAYS TO FIRST FLIGHT OF DCX----------------------+

Article: 1341
From: [email protected] (UPI)
Newsgroups: clari.tw.aerospace,clari.tw.misc,clari.biz.misc
Subject: Lockheed exploring use of Soyuz spacecraft
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 92 12:22:18 PDT
 
	SUNNYVALE, Calif. (UPI) -- Lockheed Missiles & Space Co. Inc.
said Thursday it has signed an agreement to investigate use of the
Russian Soyuz spacecraft as an interim rescue vehicle at Space Station
Freedom. 

	The Lockheed subsidiary said it has agreed with Energia
Scientific and Industrial Corp., of Kaliningrad in the Russian
Federation, to cooperate on future space programs and to investigate
joint development of the Russian Soyuz spacecraft as the interim
Assured Crew Return Vehicle at the space station. 

	Lockheed, as a NASA contractor, is one of two teams conducting
studies of the space station's rescue vehicle.  It said the agreement
is an outgrowth of June's pact between the U.S. and the Russian
Federation for cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space
for peaceful purposes. 

	Gus Guastaferro, vice president at Lockheed Missiles & Space,
said the interim vehicle could be used as early as 1997.  He noted that
a permanent rescue ship for the project is not planned until the space
station is completed and permanently occupied, which is not expected
to occur before 1999. 

	``The interim vehicle would be used to extend early space station 
missions beyond the current shuttle orbiter duration capabilities  and gain 
access to the station earlier than anticipated,'' Guastaferro said. 

	NPO Energia is the builder of the Soyuz. Gustaferro and Yuri
Semenov, general director and general designer of NPO Energia, signed
the agreement on Aug. 27. 

	``A common objective in signing this agreement is to work
together in promoting and expanding human presence in space for
peaceful purposes,'' Guastaferro said.  ``Both parties have agreed to
establish direct communications, and the next meeting is planned for
late October in Kaliningrad.'' 

Article: 1348
From: [email protected] (UPI)
Newsgroups: clari.tw.aerospace,clari.biz.misc,clari.tw.misc
Subject: Rockwell exploring use of Soyuz spacecraft
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 92 11:43:20 PDT
 
	SEAL BEACH, Calif. (UPI) -- Rockwell International Corp. said Tuesday
it has signed an agreement to investigate use of the Russian Soyuz
spacecraft as an interim rescue vehicle for Space Station Freedom.

	Rockwell said it has agreed with NPO Energia, of Kaliningrad in the
Russian Federation, to pursue several space initiatives, including using
the Soyuz as the ``interim assured return vehicle'' at the space station. 
Rockwell said the discussions will be held in concert with NASA.

	Space Station Freedom is not expected to be permanently occupied
until after 1999.

	Lockheed Missiles & Space Co. announced a similar pact with NPO
Energia, the builder of the Soyuz, last week. Lockheed and Rockwell are
the NASA contractors conducting stuides for the space station's rescue
vehicle.

	Rockwell also said under its pact, NPO Energia may provide some of
the design and components for a docking system designed to enable the
shuttle orbiter to dock with Russia's Mir space station. The pact also
calls for the purchase of data.

	Rockwell said some of the Rockwell-built space shuttle orbiters could
be modified for the planned in-space docking with the Mir space station.
NASA has scheduled Space Shuttle Atlantis to dock with Mir in 1995.

	Rockwell said its space systems division will perform extensive
modifications later this year to Atlantis at its Palmdale, Calif.,
facility, including modifications to enable installation of a Russian
docking unit in Atlantis' cargo bay.

	Rockwell said the discussions will also include several projects
focusing on space technology, including advanced materials, and
cooperative ventures for long-term manned missions to the Moon and Mars.

	``This agreement allows us to continue to work toward a long-term
relationship on space projects of mutual interest,'' said Donald R.
Beall, Rockwell's chairman and chief executive officer.

	``Rockwell's relationships with Russian space entities go back to the
early 1970s when we worked jointly on the Apollo/Soyuz mission,'' Beall
said. ``We have continued to build on that relationship with NPO Energia.''

	``Business ventures of this kind will represent an important facet of
our expanding international business,'' Beall said, noting that a
quarter of it annual revenues, or $3 billion, come from overseas. ``We
expect these markets to provide significant continuing growth for most
of our nine core businesses through the '90's.''

	The company said Beall and Sam F. Iacobellis, chief operating
officer, met in July with Russian space officials in Kaliningrad,
Russia, to discuss several space-related projects. Several NPO Energia
officials traveled to California to visit Rockwell after attending last
week's World Space Congress in Washington.

	The Russian delegation includes NPO Energia General Director and
General Designer Dr. Yuri Semenov; Plant Director Alexei Borisenko;
Director of Soyuz TM Operations Dr. Vladimir Timchenko, Head of
International Experiments Department Boris Artemov and Cosmonaut
Alexander Alexandrov.

Donald L. Savage
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.              September 17, 1992

RELEASE:  92-151

     Dr.  Wesley T. Huntress, Jr., Director of NASA's Solar System Exploration
Division, Washington, D.C., last week received the Korolev Medal, awarded by
the Russian Federation of Astronautics and Cosmonautics for achievement in
space research.

     Dr.  Huntress received the award at the sixth annual meeting of the
U.S./Russia Joint Working Group on Solar System Exploration held in San
Francisco. The award citation recognized his "great contribution to the
development of Russian-American cooperation in solar system exploration."
Recipients of the Korolev Medal have included cosmonauts, scientists and key
individuals who have made significant contributions to space research.

     "I'm especially pleased that Dr. Huntress has been recognized for this
prestigious award," said Daniel S. Goldin, NASA Administrator. "It is another
symbol of the close working relationship between NASA and our colleagues in the
Russian Federation and the high level of esteem with which they -- and we --
regard him."

     Dr.  Huntress currently is responsible for leading the nation's planetary
science and exploration program, including the ongoing missions of Ulysses,
Magellan and Galileo and the upcoming Mars Observer mission.

     Dr.  Huntress has been Director of NASA's Solar System Exploration
Division since July 1990.  Prior to that, he served for 2 years as Special
Assistant to the Director of the Earth Science and Applications Division. He
came to NASA Headquarters after a 20-year career as a scientist at the Jet
Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., where he participated in a number of
projects including the Giotto Halley's Comet, the Comet Rendezvous Asteroid
Flyby and Cassini missions.

     At JPL, Dr. Huntress and his group gained international recognition for
their pioneering studies of chemical evolution in interstellar clouds, comets
and planetary atmospheres.

Article: 2751
From: [email protected] (JEFF BERLINER)
Newsgroups: clari.news.gov.international,clari.news.hot.east_europe
Subject: U.S.-Russia space plans announced
Date: 5 Oct 92 20:19:31 GMT
 
	MOSCOW (UPI) -- Directors of the U.S. and Russian space agencies
announced plans Monday to put a Russian cosmonaut on the Space Shuttle
and fly an American astronaut on a Soyuz rocket to the Mir space station.

	The projects will cost the United States more than $100
million, but Russian officials said it was too early to estimate
Moscow's contribution to projects over the next three years. 

	In addition to the projects involving cosmonauts and astronauts
working together in space, plans were announced to put American
instruments on board an unmanned Russian scientific flight to Mars.

	``We haven't just talked,'' said Daniel Goldin, director of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. ``We've taken a real
first step...to the future together. NASA and the Russian Space Agency
will reach for the stars.''

	The agreements signed Monday in Moscow show the confidence both
countries place in the future of a cooperative space exploration and
research program, said Yuri Koptev, director of the Russian Space Agency, 
noting that the projects finally go beyond simply an exchange of information.

	Goldin and Koptev appeared side by side to announce plans to work
together to implement last June's summit accord to cooperate in space.

	``We started on this journey in June when President Yeltsin and
President Bush signed a cooperative space treaty agreement,'' Goldin
said, ``and we sit here today with a complete, firm signed agreement for
the Shuttle-Mir mission to occur in 1995, a cooperative agreement for
the United States to participate in the Russian mission to Mars in 1994,
and the aggressive start of working groups in the environment, solar
physics, astrophysics and biological life support systems.''

	First, two Russian cosmonauts will travel to NASA's Houston, Texas,
space center later this month to start training for a November 1993
space shuttle launch. The two Russians, Vladimir Titov and Sergei
Krikalov, are veterans of marathon space journeys.

	Titov spent a year in space, and Krikalov just returned from 10
months in orbit, where he watched the Soviet Union disintegrate and
became the butt of jokes about whether his nation would be able to pay
his way back home.

	Next, two yet-to-be-named American astronauts will train in Russia
for the 1995 flight that will send an American astronaut on the Soyuz
spacecraft to Mir, the world's only permantly manned orbiting space lab.

	In each case, two spacemen from each country will train, but only one
will join the other nation's launch.

	The Russians regularly replace their working Mir crews, but as part
of the joint plan, the U.S. space shuttle would bring fresh cosmonauts
to Mir when it retrieves the NASA astronaut and relieves the two
Russians in 1995.

	``This is not a feel-good mission,'' Goldin said, noting that it
would advance knowledge of how humans adapt in space. He said the work
would further the goal of creating an international docking ststem so
any country's spacecraft could rendezvous with a space station, either
in an emergency rescue operation or for future research projects.

	Not counting the unmanned Mars mission, Goldin estimated the U.S.
costs at more than $100 million. Koptev dodged questions about Russia's
costs, saying they would be known after engineering work and that ``each
side is financially responsible for its activities.''

	Koptev also noted that even though space has no limits, Russian
resources do. Russia recently charged Germany and France for space trips
by their cosmonauts.

	But Koptev said, ``We are quite confident that this program is a
small step and it will pave the way to major and larger projects.''


From:	DECWRL::"[email protected]" "Voevodin S.A." 5-OCT-1992 
Subj:	VSA028: HOT URGENT - Russian cosmonauts for US Shuttle called

     ***********************************************************
     *  VSA028       02.10.1992       (c) Sergey  A. Voevodin  *
     ***********************************************************

            Russian cosmonauts for US Shuttle called

On the 1st of October 1992 Yuri Koptev, Chief of the Russian Space
Agency, called two Russian cosmonauts for the  flight  on  the  US
Shuttle board in October 1993, they are Titov and Krikalyov.

Colonel VLADIMIR GEORGIYEVICH TITOV:

Vladimir Titov was born on January 1, 1947, in Sretensk town of the
Chita region.

He complited secondary school in 1965.

In 1966, he enrolled at the Higher Pilots Training Air Force College
named by Lenin's Komsomol in Chernigov in the Ukraine. On graduating
from the College in 1970 he served as a pilot-instructor at the College.

He joined the CPSU in 1971.

>From 1974 he served as a flight-commander of an air regiment.

He had flown 10 different types of airplanes and had logged over 1300
flying hours, he also holds the qualifications of 1st Class Military
Pilot and 3rd Class Military Test-Pilot.

In August 1976 he was selected for the Soviet Cosmonaut Detachment.

>From 1976 until 1978 he underwent General Space Flight Training (OKP)
according to the "Almaz" program.

April 1981 - April 1983 he prepared for Special Mission on the Kosmos-1443
board (the first Soviet Manned "Star" Module).

20 - 22 April 1983 Titov had the first spaceflight with crew Titov/Stre-
kalov/Serebrov on Soyuz T-8 board. The aims of the flight were not fulfilled
because of the Soyuz T Rendezvous Radar Antenna failure. Flight duration was
2 d 00 h 17 m 48 s.

After the flight he was reselected for the 3rd resident mission to Salyut-7.

On 26 September 1983 he and Strekalov were ready for spaceflight on
Soyuz T-10  but space launcher fired and the crew was saved by the Soyuz
launch escape system. Flight duration - 5 m 30 s ( the shortest space
flight all over the world ).

>From May 1983 till December 1984 Titov was in "Pion" Group, the special
military group trained for military Kosmos-1686 with secret purposes.

April 1984 - March 1986 he was in Salyut-7 and Mir training group.

March 1986 - February 1987 Titov and Serebrov tained as the prime crew
for 2nd Mir resident mission but the State Commisson did not assign the
crew for the flight due to Serebrov's health problems right in the cosmo-
drome.

March 1987 - December 1987 Titov continued to prepare for the next Mir
mission with a new Flight Engineer - Manarov.

December 21, 1987 - December 21, 1988 Titov had his second flight on
Mir station board, the flight duration - 365 d 22 h 38 m 57 s

Since the beginning of 1989 Titov is the Deputy Chief of the TsPK Science
Administration.

Since August 1990 he has been preparing for Buran flight.

Titov had 3 EVAs with total duration: 13 hours 47 minutes.

SERGEY KONSTANTINOVICH KRIKALYOV:

Sergey Krikalyov was born on 27 August 1958 in Leningrad (St. Petersburg).

In 1975 he finished  school and the same year he enrolled at the Lenin-
grad Mechanical Institute. He went in for aerobatics in the Institute aero-
club, and was later awarded the title of Master of Sports of the USSR for
airplane sport. He graduated from the Institute in 1981 and began to work
in the Korolyov's Design Bureau.

He never was a member of CPSU.

In November 1985 he was selected for the Soviet Cosmonaut Team.

Until 1988 he was in the Soviet shuttle "Buran" program (OKP).

>From March 1988 till November 1988 Krikalyov trained for the second
Soviet-French flight with Volkov and Chretien.

November 26, 1988 - April 27 1989 he had the first space flight on Mir
station board, flight duration - 151 d 11 h 08 m 23 s.

After the mission Krikalyov was in Buran group again.

In 1990 Sergey Krikalyov was added to Mir group.

>From June 1990 to December 1991 Krikalyov and Artsebarsky trained as
back-up crew for the Mir resident mission.

>From January 1991 till May 1991 they continued their training but as a
prime crew.

May 5 ,1991 - March 25, 1992 Krikalyov had his second space flight,
flight duration more than 310 days.

Krikayov had 6 EVAs with total duration - 31 hours 58 minutes.

% ====== Internet headers and postmarks (see DECWRL::GATEWAY.DOC) ======
% From: [email protected] (Voevodin S.A.)
% Subject: VSA028: HOT URGENT - Russian cosmonauts for US Shuttle called

Article: 2125
Newsgroups: sci.space.news
From: [email protected] (Ron Baalke)
Subject: NASA and Russian Space Agency Sign Space Agreements
Sender: [email protected] (Usenet)
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 23:23:02 GMT
 
Debra J. Rahn
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                          October 6, 1992
(Phone:  202/358-1639)
 
RELEASE:  92-165
 
NASA AND RUSSIAN SPACE AGENCY SIGN SPACE AGREEMENTS
 
	NASA and the Russian Space Agency (RSA) have signed two
cooperative agreements in Moscow, in the areas of human space flight
and Mars exploration. 
 
	"Signing these two agreements is the next crucial step in
expanding cooperative space activities with our Russian partners.  We
are very anxious to begin working on these important programs," said
NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin. 
 
	The Human Space Flight Agreement outlines the flight details
of a Russian cosmonaut on the U.S. Space Shuttle, the flight of a U.S.
astronaut on the Russian Mir Space Station and a joint mission
including the rendezvous and docking of the Space Shuttle with the Mir
Space Station. 
 
	The Mars '94 agreement is for the flight of two U.S./NASA
scientific instruments on the Russian Mars '94 lander. 
 
	The agreements were signed by Administrator Goldin and RSA
Director Yuri Koptev during the first annual U.S./Russian Space Policy
Consultations. 
 
	Ambassador Frank Wisner, Under Secretary of State, headed the
U.S. delegation and met with Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
officials to review the U.S./Russian space relationship. 
 
Human Space Flight Cooperation Agreement
 
	An experienced cosmonaut will fly aboard the STS-60 Space
Shuttle mission, scheduled for launch in November 1993.  RSA has
nominated Col. Vladimir G. Titov and Sergei K. Krikalev as the two
cosmonauts who will undergo mission specialist training. 
 
	One cosmonaut will be designated the prime crewmember and the
other designated backup crewmember.  The cosmonauts are scheduled for
arrival at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, in October 1992. 
 
	A NASA astronaut will fly on a long-duration (more than 90
days) Mir Space Station flight.  The flight's timing will coincide
with a Shuttle docking flight in 1995.  The astronaut will be flown to
the Mir on a Soyuz spacecraft. The astronaut's duties will focus on
science, particularly life sciences, as well as engineering and
operational objectives. 
 
	Two NASA astronauts will receive full cosmonaut training with
their cosmonaut crewmates at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training
Facility "Star City" near Moscow.  They will begin training no later
than 12 months prior to the agreed flight date.  One astronaut will be
selected as the prime crewmember and the other will be designated
backup crewmember. 
 
	NASA will transport two cosmonauts in the Space Shuttle to
replace the two cosmonauts on board Mir.  Life sciences experiments,
involving the NASA astronaut and the two cosmonauts on board the Mir,
will be conducted while the Shuttle and Mir are docked.  The NASA
astronaut and the two cosmonauts who have been on the Mir will be
returned in the Shuttle to the United States for continued post-flight
life sciences experiments. 
 
NASA Participation in the Russian Mars '94 Mission
 
	The primary objective of this mission is to carry out further
joint exploration of planet Mars in conjunction with the Russian Mars
'94 mission. This may provide the opportunity for U.S. scientific
instruments to be carried aboard the Russian spacecraft.  This
cooperation could significantly enhance the present Mars '94 mission
and provide critical data for future human and robotic Mars missions. 
 
	One U.S. instrument is the Soil Magnetic Properties
Experiment, and the other is the Soil Reactivity/Composition
Experiment.  These will enable scientists to characterize the Martian
physical and chemical surface environment. 
 
	The soil magnetic properties experiment will use a magnet to
collect and measure the magnetic minerals in the Martian soil.  The
soil reaction/composition experiment will provide chemical information
about the volatile components in the Martian soil. 
 
     ___    _____     ___
    /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|     Ron Baalke         | [email protected]
    | | | |  __ \ /| | | |     Jet Propulsion Lab |
 ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |__   M/S 525-3684 Telos | Einstein's brain is stored
/___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /| Pasadena, CA 91109 | in a mason jar in a lab
|_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/                     | in Wichita, Kansas.
 

Article: 2133
Newsgroups: sci.space.news
From: [email protected] (Peter E. Yee)
Subject: Cosmonauts selected to fly on a Space Shuttle [Release 92-166]
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 23:36:27 GMT
 
Debra Rahn
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                October 6, 1992
(Phone:  202/358-1639)
 
RELEASE:  92-166
 
COSMONAUTS SELECTED TO FLY ON A SPACE SHUTTLE
 
     NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin has approved the selection of
cosmonauts Sergei K. Krikalev and Col. Vladimir G. Titov as the two
Russian candidates who will train to fly on a Space Shuttle mission
scheduled for launch in November 1993. 
 
     "We are delighted with the selection of these two outstanding
cosmonauts and look forward to their impending arrival at NASA's
Johnson Space Center," Goldin said in an Oct. 5, 1992, letter to Yuri
N. Koptev, Director-General, Russian Space Agency (RSA). 
 
     The two cosmonauts are scheduled to arrive at NASA's Johnson
Space Center, Houston, later in October to begin mission specialist
training on Shuttle systems, flight operations, and manifested payload
procedures.  One cosmonaut will be designated the prime crewmember,
and the other will be designated as the backup crewmember. 
 
     The flight of a cosmonaut on the STS-60 mission is one element of
the Implementing Agreement on NASA/RSA Cooperation in Human Space
Flight that was signed today by Goldin and Koptev in Moscow. 
 
Cosmonaut Biographies
 
     Col. Vladimir Georgievich Titov, Soviet Air Force, was born Jan.
1, 1947, in the town of Sretensk, Chitinck region. Titov graduated
from the Higher Air Force College in Chernigov, Ukraine, in 1970,
where he served as a pilot- instructor until 1974.  Titov has flown 10
different types of aircraft, has logged over 1300 hours flying time
and holds the qualifications of Military Pilot, lst Class and Test-
Pilot, 3rd Class. 
 
     Titov was selected to join the cosmonaut team in 1976 and in
September 1981, served as a back-up crew member for Soyuz T-5 launched
on May 18, 1982. 
 
     Titov made his first spaceflight as Commander of Soyuz T-8,
launched on April 20, 1983.  Titov was supposed to dock with Saylut 7,
but was unable to because the Soyuz rendezvous radar antenna failed to
deploy properly.  After several attempts, Titov aborted the rendezvous
to avoid a crash and returned to Earth after a flight lasting just
over 2 days. 
 
     Titov next served as backup for the Soyuz T-9 mission launched on
June 27, 1983. 
 
     Titov was onboard Soyuz T-10 on Sept. 27, 1983, which caught fire
1 minute before launch when a propellant line valve failed to close at
T-90 seconds.  The fire quickly engulfed the rocket, but controllers
were able to pull the Soyuz descent module clear by the launch escape
system.  The crew landed safely some 2.5 miles (4 km) from the launch
vehicle. 
 
     In 1987 he graduated from the Yuri Gagarin Air Force Academy
while working at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. 
 
     Titov was Commander of the Soyuz TM-4 launched on Dec. 21, 1987. 
Titov and Musa Manarov set a new record for long duration in space of
365 days, 22 hours and 89 minutes.  Upon his return to Earth, Titov
was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and also received
his second Order of Lenin. In addition, the French awarded him the
title of Commandeur de la Legion d'Honneur and in 1990, he and Manarov
were awarded the U.S. Harmon Prize -- the first Soviet citizens to win
the award -- in recognition of their world endurance record. 
 
     Titov is married and has a daughter born in 1975 and a son born
in 1985. 
 
     Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalev was born on Aug. 27, 1958, in
Leningard.  He completed his studies at the Institute of Mechanics in
Leningrad in 198l, and then worked in a design bureau where he
participated in the creation of new space technology devices.  He is
involved in sport aviation and holds a Master of Sport in sport
aviation. 
 
     Krikalev began cosmonaut training in November 1985 and made his
first spaceflight as flight engineer onboard Soyuz TM-7, launched on
Nov. 26, 1988.  Krikalev returned to Earth after having spent 151
days, 11 hours and 8 minutes in space. His second flight aboard Mir
was from May 18, 1991, to March 25, 1992 (312 days). 
 
     Upon his return, Krikalev was awared the title of Hero of the
Soviet Union and also received the Order of Lenin.  In addition, the
French awarded him the title of L'Officier de la Legion d'Honneur. 
 
     Krikalev is married and has a daughter born in 1990.

Article: 2770
From: [email protected] (UPI)
Newsgroups: clari.news.gov.usa,clari.tw.space,clari.tw.health,clari.news.trouble
Subject: Space-based system saves Alaskan hunter
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 92 13:24:38 PDT
 
	WASHINGTON (UPI) -- A 41-year-old Alaskan hunter was rescued
thanks to a distress signal picked up by a Russian satellite and relayed 
to the U. S. Air Force and search teams, NASA officials said Tuesday. 

	The hunter, John Brower, carried an experimental tiny
emergency transmitter that eventually may become available for
widespread use by campers, hunters and other outdoors types. 

	The Personal Locator Beacons emit emergency signals similar to
those of ships and aircraft.  Three Russian and three American satellites 
are positioned to pick up these signals. 

	Brower developed severe abdominal cramps and was unable to
move when he was four days from Barrow, Alaska. The emergency signal
guided a rescue helicopter to within a two-tenths of a mile of his
location, and he was rescued less than three hours of the time the
distress signal was first received. 

	``This experiment was intended to show the value of these
emergency devices,'' said NASA's Search and Rescue Mission Manager Ron
Wallace of the Goddard Space Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

	The international satellite-aided search and rescue system
started 10 years ago and includes Canada, France, Russia, and the
United States.  NASA said 2,400 lives have been saved by the effort. 

	Twenty of the experimental personal locator devices are in use
during the three-year experiment at a cost between $1,200 and $1,700 each, 
said an official of the North Slope Borough Search and Rescue Department. 

Article: 1438
From: [email protected] (UPI)
Newsgroups: clari.tw.aerospace,clari.tw.misc,clari.biz.misc
Subject: Rockwell signs Shuttle deal with Russian firm
Date: Thu, 29 Oct 92 16:29:37 PST
 
	DOWNEY, Calif. (UPI) -- Rockwell International Corp., the Space
Shuttle's prime contractor, said Thursday its Space Systems division has
signed a contract with NPO Energia of Moscow for work on the joint U.S.
/Russian space mission in 1995.

	Rockwell said NPO Energia will provide technical information,
perform dynamic docking tests and supply data to help determine the
compatibility of the Androgynous Peripheral Docking Assembly between
the Mir space station and the Shuttle orbiter for the joint space mission. 

	The agreement is expected to extend this year, with a follow-on
agreement early in 1993 under which Rockwell would procure from NPO
Energia docking hardware, support equipment and technical services for
ground and flight test.

	Rockwell said current plans for the mission call for the docking
assembly to be carried in the shuttle to Mir, where the ``latch-up'' of
the two spacecraft would be achieved using the Russian docking system.

	Energia has been responsible for the design and production of 
the Soyuz and Progress spacecraft, the Mir space station, and the Buran
space shuttle.  Rockwell and Energia provided the docking hardware for
the Apollo/Soyuz test project in July 1975.

From:	DECWRL::"[email protected]" "Peter Yee"  1-NOV-1992 20:25:02.63
To:	[email protected]
CC:	
Subj:	NASA names crew for STS-60 mission with cosmonaut (Forwarded)

Ed Campion
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.               October 28, 1992
(Phone:  202/453-1134)

Barbara Schwartz
Johnson Space Center, Houston
(Phone:  713/483-5111)

RELEASE:  92-188

NASA NAMES CREW FOR STS-60 MISSION WITH COSMONAUT

     Charles F. Bolden, Jr. (Col., USMC) will command Space Shuttle
mission STS-60 in November 1993.  Other crew members are Pilot Kenneth
S. Reightler, Jr. (Capt., USN), and mission specialists Franklin R.
Chang-Diaz, Ph.D., N. Jan Davis, Ph.D., Ronald M. Sega, Ph.D., and an
experienced Russian cosmonaut. 

     "This flight is a significant milestone in future space
exploration from a scientific research standpoint as well as being the
first step in our cooperative agreements with our Russian partners. 
We can expect tremendous accomplishments from this group of
individuals, considering the outstanding credentials and backgrounds
they bring to this mission," said Acting Director of Flight Crew
Operations Steven A. Hawley. 

     Bolden, 46, piloted two Space Shuttle missions, STS-61C in
January 1986 and STS-31 in April 1990, and commanded the Atmospheric
Laboratory for Applications and Science mission STS-45 in March 1992. 
In addition to his flight experience, Bolden has held a number of
management positions since his selection as an astronaut in 1980. 

     Most recently, Bolden was appointed Assistant Deputy
Administrator at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., in April. 
Bolden was born in Columbia, S.C., and has a bachelor of science
degree in electrical science from the U.S. Naval Academy and a master
of science degree in systems management from the University of
Southern California. 

     Reightler, 41, was Pilot on Space Shuttle mission STS-48 on which
the crew successfully deployed the Upper Atmosphere Research
Satellite.  Born in Patuxent River, Md., Reightler considers Virginia
Beach, Va., to be his hometown. 

     Selected by NASA in June 1987, Reightler's current assignment is
Chief of the Mission Support Branch in the Astronaut Office and Lead
CAPCOM in Mission Control, responsible for communications with Space
Shuttle crew members during flight.  Reightler has master of science
degrees in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate
School and in systems management from the University of Southern
California. 

     Chang-Diaz, 42, is a veteran of three space flights -- STS-61C in
January 1986, STS-34 in October 1989 and STS-46 in August 1992. 
Selected to become an astronaut in 1980, Chang- Diaz has a doctorate
in applied plasma physics from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology.  He was born in San Jose, Costa Rica. 

     Davis, 38, flew on STS-47 Spacelab-J, a cooperative mission with
the National Space Development Agency of Japan, in September 1992. 
Davis was born in Cocoa Beach, Fla., but considers Huntsville, Ala.,
to be her hometown.  Selected to become an astronaut in June 1987,
Davis has a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of
Alabama, Huntsville. 

     Sega, 39, was selected in January 1990 and has a doctorate in
electrical engineering from the University of Colorado.  This will be
his first space flight.  Sega is an Adjunct Professor of Physics at
the University of Houston and is a Co-Principal Investigator of the
Wake Shield Facility which is manifested for this flight.  Born in
Cleveland, Sega considers Northfield, Ohio, and Colorado Springs,
Colo., to be his hometowns. 

     An experienced cosmonaut will fly aboard the STS-60 Space Shuttle
mission.  The Russian Space Agency has nominated Col. Vladimir G.
Titov and Sergei K. Krikalev to undergo mission specialist training. 
One cosmonaut will be designated the prime crew member and the other
designated backup crew member.  The cosmonauts will arrive at the
Johnson Space Center in early November. 

     Mission objectives include a number of microgravity experiments
in SPACEHAB-2, the Wake Shield Facility experiment to test the
creation of an ultra-vacuum in which to produce extremely pure thin
film crystals for industrial uses ranging from microelectronics to
lasers and superconductivity, a Capillary Pumped Loop Experiment to
study a method of heat dissipation in space and a number of small
experiments known as Getaway Specials flown in a bridge assembly in
the orbiter's payload bay.  Additionally, Russian Space Agency-
sponsored life science activities will be included in the mission. 

Article: 2412
Newsgroups: sci.space.news
From: [email protected] (Peter Yee)
Subject: International study of Earth's magnetic field announced 
         [Release 92-193] (Forwarded)
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1992 22:32:05 GMT
 
Don Savage
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.            October 30, 1992
(Phone:  202/453-8400)
 
Debra Rahn
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
(Phone:  202/358-1639)
 
RELEASE:  92-193
 
INTERNATIONAL STUDY OF EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD ANNOUNCED
 
     Scientists from the United States, Japan, Russia and Europe are
mounting a coordinated multi-mission effort in solar-terrestrial
science over the next 4 years, the InterAgency Consultative Group
for Space Science (IACG) announced at its meeting in Washington, D.C.,
Oct. 29-30, 1992. 
 
     The effort began with the launch of Japan's Geotail satellite in
July 1992 and will continue with next year's planned launch of NASA's
WIND spacecraft, Russia's 2- spacecraft Interball mission planned for
launch in the fall of 1993 and the Cluster and the SOHO missions of
the European Space Agency in 1995.  In addition, NASA's Interplanetary
Monitoring Platform and the Japanese AKEBONO spacecraft will provide
important data. 
 
     "During the 1990s, an unprecedented set of interrelated
solar-terrestrial science missions are being launched, offering a
unique opportunity to enhance individual scientific return," said Dr.
Lennard A. Fisk, NASA Associate Administrator for Space Science and
Applications. 
 
     This international coordination will maximize the scientific
return from this suite of missions to gain a greater understanding of
the Earth's magnetosphere --the magnetic field that forms a magnetic
"cocoon" around the Earth.  Electrical and magnetic interactions
involving the magnetosphere, the solar wind and interplanetary shock
waves, have caused storms there which can create disturbances in the
Earth's atmosphere affecting communications, electrical power systems
and spacecraft electronics. 
 
     The effort will study not only quiet electrical and magnetic
conditions but also study the major impacts on the magnetospheric tail
from changes in the solar wind, such as interplanetary shock waves, large 
pressure pulses and changes in the interplanetary magnetic field. 
 
     Other severe tail instabilities generated within the
magnetosphere itself.  These include the storage and violent release
of energy known as storms and sub-storms and processes of energy
transfer between near-Earth and distant-tail regions. 
 
New Methods of Multi-Mission International Cooperation
 
     Prof. Atsuhiro Nishida, the IACG Executive Secretary, speaking on
behalf of the Heads of Delegation said, "Toward the end of the decade,
the four space agencies will look back on major science accomplishments, 
not possible through individual missions alone, that we will have achieved 
through new methods of multi-mission international cooperation.  This 
effort could serve as a model for future international collaboration." 
 
     The Heads of Delegations to the IACG approved this coordinated
multi-mission effort which, in the 1990's, will involve up to 35
spacecraft in as many as 25 common scientific projects in solar-
terrestrial physics. 
 
     Leading the IACG Delegations were Dr. Fisk; Dr. Roger Bonnet,
Director of the Scientific Programs at the European Space Agency;
Prof. Ryojiro Akiba, Director of Japan's Institute of Space and
Astronautical Sciences and Academician Albert A. Galeev, Director of
the Space Research Institute in Russia. 

Article: 2689
Newsgroups: sci.space.news
From: [email protected] (Peter Yee)
Subject: NASA scientists participate in Russian space mission [Release 92-223] 
         (Forwarded)
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 21:56:53 GMT
 
Michael Braukus
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                December 14, 1992
(Phone:  202/358-0872)
 
Debra Rahn
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
(Phone:  202/358-1639)
 
Jane Hutchison
Ames Research Center, Mountain View, Calif.
(Phone:  415/604-9000)
 
RELEASE:  92-223
 
NASA SCIENTISTS PARTICIPATE IN RUSSIAN SPACE MISSION 
 
     Scientists from NASA's Ames Research Center, Mountain 
View, Calif., and across the United States will participate in 
a Russian biomedical space mission later this month.
 
     The Cosmos '92 "biosatellite" is an unpiloted, recoverable 
spacecraft that carries plant and animal experiments.  About 8 
feet in diameter, it is scheduled for launch from Plesetsk, 
Russia, on Dec. 29 on an SL-3 launch vehicle.  The mission will 
last up to 14 days, according to James Connolly, Cosmos Project 
Manager at Ames.
 
     "This mission will address questions critical to understanding
the biomedical effects of prolonged space flight," said Dr. Rodney
Ballard, Cosmos Project Scientist at Ames. 
 
     NASA investigators will study changes in bone and metabolism in
monkeys.  They also will examine changes in eye movements and gravity
receptors in the inner ear and will analyze urine and plasma samples
for signs of bone, muscle and connective tissue breakdown.  The
animals will be monitored during the mission.  Scientists also will
conduct post-flight studies. 
 
     NASA personnel worked closely with their Russian 
counterparts to refine in-flight measurements of physiological 
changes.  These measurements will include body temperature, 
electrical activity of the heart and electrical currents 
generated in active muscles during space flight.
 
     Some U.S. scientists will investigate changes in muscles, 
bone density and the endocrine system.  Others will study the 
immune system, temperature regulation and circadian rhythms.  
Circadian rhythms are behavioral and physiological rhythms, 
such as metabolism and sleep rhythms, that follow approximate 
24-hour cycles.
 
     NASA engineers and scientists also developed a portable 
linear sled for use in the ground-based studies of eye 
movements and gravity receptors in the inner ear.
 
     Cooperation between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union 
in space life sciences began in 1972 with the signing of a 
joint agreement on the peaceful and cooperative use of space.  
Cosmos '92 is the eighth Russian biosatellite mission in which 
NASA has participated.
 
     Ballard said the cooperative program has provided many 
benefits to American life science researchers over the years, 
such as increasingly useful results on how humans, animals and 
plants react to the weightless environment of space.
 
     Connolly said the Cosmos missions have been particularly 
useful for studies requiring longer exposures to microgravity.  
"These missions have provided an experience base among American 
scientists and engineers that we can and do transfer to the 
U.S. space program," he said.
 
     Nine U.S./Russian investigator teams, in addition to 
scientists from France, Canada, the European Space Agency and 
Eastern Europe will participate in the mission.  They will 
conduct more than 25 experiments on a variety of living systems 
including seeds, beetles, fish, monkeys and others.
 
     Ames provides project management and experiment 
development for U.S. participation in the Cosmos program.  The 
Institute of Biomedical Problems in Moscow manages the Russian 
program.  Russia provides the biosatellite, launch vehicle, 
flight hardware and biological specimens.
 
     The Cosmos Program Manager at NASA Headquarters is 
Lawrence Chambers.  Dr. Frank Sulzman is Program Scientist.  
The program is sponsored by the Life Sciences Division of 
NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications, Washington, D.C.

Article: 1552
From: [email protected] (UPI)
Newsgroups: clari.biz.misc,clari.tw.aerospace,clari.local.sfbay
Subject: Lockheed finalizes Russian partnership
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 93 17:34:51 PST
 
	SUNNYVALE, Calif. (UPI) -- Lockheed Corp. said Monday it has
finalized its previously announced partnership with Russian rocket
builder Khrunichev Enterprise to market the Proton rocket worldwide. 

	Lockheed and Khrunichev announced the establishment of the joint
venture in late December following approvals by the U.S. and Russian
governments.

	``Both Lockheed and Khrunichev have pledged to accelerate the pace
and maintain the focus of our efforts to proceed to opening space more
fully to commercial users through the worldwide marketing of the Proton
rocket,'' said Daniel Tellep, Lockheed's chairman.

	The joint venture is designed to boost Lockheed's standing as a
player in the commercial satellite business and double annual revenues
at its Space Systems Division, of Sunnyvale, Calif., to $5 billion over
the next eight years.

	If the growth in the satellite business matches expectations,
Lockheed would move into the same league in the commercial satellite
market as Generel Motors' Hughes Aircraft Co., Loral Corp. and General
Electric Co., which dominate the $29-billion U.S. space market currently.

	The deal has the potential to considerably broaden the business of
Lockheed's Space Systems business, its most profitable operation.
Lockheed specializes in designing and building satellites and leaves the
instruments and electronics packages to rivals.

	The joint venture, dubbed Lockheed-Khrunichev International, will
sell the Proton rocket and updated versions of it.

	Lockheed's Space Systems, of Sunnyvale, Calof., earned $360 million
last year, or nearly two-thirds of Lockheed's operating profit. The unit
produces the Central Intelligence Agency's KH-11 spy satellite,
according to published reports, along with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope
and the Air Force's Milstar communications satellite.

	Lockheed is also building the Iridium satellite communications
systems for Motorola Inc.

	The division has about 8,500 employees and hopes to boost that by 2,
500 by the year 2000. That would move the employment level back to the
1987 figure.

	Lockheed was recently dealt a blow when the Pentagon chose Rockwell
International Corp. and TRW Inc. to develop competing designs for the
Brilliant Eyes early warning system, which could have a $1 billion sales
potential.

	Lockheed Chairman Daniel Tellep said recently that he expects the
overall defense industry to decline by 15 to 25 percent over the next
five years. Despite this, Lockheed recently agreed to buy General
Dynamics Corp.'s fighter aircraft business for $1.53 billion.

	Lockheed, of Calabasas, Calif., posted a third-quarter earning gain
of 6 percent to $86 million, or $1.40 a share. Sales for Lockheed, the
nation's sixth-biggest defense contractor, were up 4 percent to $2.47
billion.

Article: 3120
From: [email protected] (UPI)
Newsgroups: clari.tw.telecom,clari.biz.products,clari.news.hot.east_europe
Subject: Motorola hires Russian company to launch satellites
Date: Thu, 4 Feb 93 8:01:40 PST
 
	SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (UPI) -- The company that is heir to the former
Soviet agency that put the first satellite in space will put 21 more
above the earth, this time for Motorola Inc.'s high-tech communications
network.

	The Schaumburg-based electronics company said Wednesday it has signed
a contract with Russia's Khrunichev Enterprise to launch the satellites.

	Khrunichev is heir to the Soviet space program that put Sputnik, the
first artificial satellite, into orbit in 1957.

	Motorola's $3.37 billion satellite network, Iridium, is to include 66
low-earth-orbit satellites that will link the world through wireless
telephones, pagers and modems. Motorola said it would provide
communications services in areas of the world not served by 
``telecommunications infrastructures.''

	Motorola executives said they expect to win U.S. government approval
for the project.

	Khrunichev Enterprise is to use three Proton rockets, each carrying
seven satellites. Khrunichev director general Anatoly Kiselev said
launching the satellites using a single rocket is ``technically
complicated'' but said the company is capable of accomplishing the job.

	Motorola has been negotiating with McDonnell Douglas Corp. to launch
most of the 66 satellites. McDonnell Douglas would use Delta 2 class
rockets, allowing five satellites to be launched with one rocket, a
Motorola spokesman said.

	Motorola also has had discussions with the European Ariane consortium
about launching some satellites.

	``From a standpoint of launching 66 active satellites and seven
spares, you look for some diversity in putting them up,'' Motorola's
Lawrence E. Moore said.

	In addition to making the Protons, Khrunichev is engaged in
constructing the Mir (Peace or World) space station and space modules
such as Kvant, Kristal, Priroda (Nature) and Spector.

	Kiselev also said Khrunichev has decided to invest $40 million in the
venture.

	``We feel this action will help Russia to integrate into the world
industrial and economic system,'' Kiselev said.

From:	DECWRL::"[email protected]" "Peter Yee" 27-FEB-1993 07:08:01.97
To:	[email protected]
CC:	
Subj:	Cosmonauts to meet the press [NTE 93-9] (Forwarded)

Jim Cast
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
(Phone:  202/358-1778)                                       February 26, 1993

Debra Rahn
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
(Phone:  202/358-1639)

Billie Deason
Johnson Space Center, Houston
(Phone:  713/483-5111)

EDITORS NOTE:  N93-9

COSMONAUTS TO MEET THE PRESS 
 
	Russian cosmonauts Col. Vladimir G. Titov and Sergei K. Krikalev will 
meet with media representatives for interviews on Tuesday, March 9, 1993, 
between 9:30 a.m. and12:30 p.m. EST.  Interviews will be conducted in Bldg. 2 
at the Johnson Space Center, Houston.
 
	The two cosmonauts are training as mission specialists for
Shuttle mission STS-60 set for flight in late 1993.  One cosmonaut
will be designated as the prime crew member with the other serving as
his backup. 

	During the STS-60 mission, the crew will deploy and retrieve
the Wake Shield Facility to test the creation of an ultra-vacuum in
which to produce extremely pure thin film crystals for industrial uses
ranging from microelectronics to lasers and superconductivity.  The
mission also will include a number of microgravity experiments in
Spacehab 2, as well as U.S. and Russian Space Agency life sciences
investigations. 
 
	Along with the cosmonaut mission specialists, STS-60 Commander
Charles Bolden, Pilot Ken Reightler and mission specialists Jan Davis,
Franklin Chang-Diaz and Ron Sega will be available for interviews
about the mission's experiments and payloads. 
 
	Media desiring to participate in the interviews should contact
Billie Deason at 713/483-5111 no later than 6 p.m. EST, Friday, March 5. 

% ====== Internet headers and postmarks (see DECWRL::GATEWAY.DOC) ======
% From: [email protected] (Peter Yee)
% Subject: Cosmonauts to meet the press [NTE 93-9] (Forwarded)

Article: 60108
Newsgroups: sci.space
From: [email protected] (Dennis Newkirk)
Subject: Re: Status of U.S./Soviet Cooperation
Organization: Motorola
Date: Tue, 30 Mar 1993 19:14:35 GMT
Sender: [email protected] (Net News)
 
In article <[email protected]>
[email protected] (Matthew DeLuca) writes: 

>In article <[email protected]> [email protected] (Paul
>Eric Miller) writes: 
>
>>It is my impression that it is absolutely criminal that we are not
>>taking advantage of the obvious economic advantages to the U.S. of
>>contracting out many of our space services to the former Soviets [...]
>
>Is it?  Think about the situation for a moment; the former Soviet space
>industry has been fractured into 15 separate independent pieces.  Several
>of the resulting nations are either at war with or hostile towards other
>former republics.  Some industrial facilities formerly devoted to space
>applications are now making toaster ovens.  Launch complex employees are
>looting facilities of everything movable.  If you were the U.S. government
>or a corporation, how fast would you rush to invest in this situation?
 
Only 2 pieces of the 15 really need to work for almost any project,
Russia and Kazakstan and that's not needed if you can launch from
Plestesk. Making toasters can be just as good as bad, maybe the
profits go to fund the companies rocket R&D? Looting has apparently
not affected the manned space program and unmanned missions are still
being launched. There have been cutbacks, but can you say NASA has not
had major cutbacks lately? Much of what we are seeing now in Russian
space 'instabilities' was just sheilded by censorship in the past. The
myth of the slow but reliable Soviet space 'tortise' has been
reveiled. Their space efforts have been just as prone to cuts,
military-civilian needs fights, political games, and other blunders as
NASA's past and perhaps more so. 
 
>There are a number of good reasons to work with the Soviets in space, but 
>until the situation stabilizes over there, I seriously doubt any sane
>Western organization or government is going to put signifigant money into
>any joint projects.
 
Probably Russians or Ukranians not Soviets. Significant money is
subjective, major money to Russia is practicially insignificant in
western aerospace terms. The fact that the ESA and Japanese are
considering joining the Mir 2 project, and NASA's consideration to use
Mir instead of building Freedom is indicator enough that Russian
cooperation is now taken seriously. As long as Russia can hold
somewhat together, and the economics of supporting foreign industry to
some degree make sense, Russia should be considered. 
 
In answer to the original post, one of the 2 cosmonauts training in
Houston will be chosen soon for a shuttle flight. A NASA astronaut
will be launched to Mir for a 3 month mission around March 1995. A
NASA shuttle will dock to Mir around July 1995 delivering some cargo
and retreiving the NASA astronaut and maybe the Russian crew in
exchange for a new Russian crew. NASA is considering using Mir in its
redesign of the Freedom program. ESA has been studying cooperation
with Russia and has traded plans for Mir 2 and Columbus free flyer for
review. Many companies have invested in Russian aerospace in some way.
The British are still studying using a Russian Antonov transport to
launch some kind of rocket, Motorola has agreed to use 3 Protons to
launch some Iridium satellites and INMARSAT is launching a satellite
on a Proton. The US Department of Defense has flown an experiment on
Russian spacecraft, NASA is flying experiments on the MARS 94 probes,
Russian communications satellites are forming the backbone of a new
commercial Pacific communications system and more satellites are on
order, etc.... 
 
Dennis Newkirk ([email protected])
Motorola, Land Mobile Products Sector
Schaumburg, IL

Article: 3476
From: [email protected] (GUY CHAZAN)
Newsgroups: clari.news.gov.international,clari.news.hot.east_europe
Subject: Russia wins U.S. satellite launch contract ending export restrictions
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 93 9:51:21 PST
 
	MOSCOW (UPI) -- Russia's cash-starved space agency said Thursday it
won its first-ever contract to launch a U.S. satellite into orbit,
marking a breakthrough into the lucrative international market for
commercial launches until now dominated by the United States and Western
Europe.

	Russian Space Agency Chief Yuri Koptev announced Russia had won a bid
to launch an Inmarsat-3 satellite, signaling the first major breach in
Cold War-era restrictions on high technology exports to Russia.

	The satellite, which is produced by the U.S. firm General Electric,
is to launched from a Russian-made Proton rocket.

	``This is the first launch of an American satellite by a Russian
rocket,'' said space agency official Anatoly Zaitsev in a telephone interview. 

	``We hope that it means the end of COCOM,'' he said in a reference to
the Coordinating Committee on Multilateral Export Controls, a body set
up by NATO members and Japan during the Cold War to restrict high-tech
exports to communist countries that might them use in weapons systems. 
``We have breached it at last.''

	Zaitsev said in the past the U.S. had used COCOM as a pretext for
freezing Russia out of the multi-billion dollar market in satellite
launching services, even after communism collapsed.

	COCOM restrictions have angered Russian industrialists keen to
compensate for the sharp decline in state orders and government
subsidies by expanding into the lucrative world aerospace market.

	Koptev said the agreement with the international conglomerate
Inmarsat had been approved by the Americans, even though it formally
circumvented the COCOM's provisions.

	Russia could easily provide facilities for some of the estimated 16
commercial launches made every year, ``giving us a stable annual income
of $200-220 million,'' Koptev said.

	``This will be important for maintaining the Russian space industry,''
which was in a ``calamitous state,'' he added.

	But the space agency chief stressed that a ``political decision''
still had to be reached with the Europeans and Americans on ``Russia's
fair participation in the market for commercial launches.'' He added he
hoped this issue would be dealt with at the upcoming U.S.-Russian summit
in Vancouver.

	The de facto easing of COCOM rules has also allowed a leading Russian
aviation firm to pioneer a new airliner which for the first time uses
imported American engines -- the Il-96M Aerobus.

	The 375-passenger Ilyushin plane, equipped with state-of-the-art
Pratt and Whitney engines and electronic navigational equipment from
Rockwell Collins, was unveiled this week in Moscow and marks the first
joint venture of its kind between Russian and American aerospace firms.

	Industry chiefs also announced that Russia would hold an
international air show this summer, for the first time putting on
display its latest aerospace advances commercial and military use.

	Koptev said the show will feature mock-ups of satellites for
ecological monitoring, liquid-fuel rocket engines, satellite launchers
and Russia's latest generation of space shuttles, as well as the latest
commercial airliners and other aircraft.

From:	DECWRL::"[email protected]" "Peter Yee"  2-APR-1993 18:35:08.10
To:	[email protected]
CC:	
Subj:	Prime and backup cosmonauts named for shuttle STS-60 mission
        [Release  93-61] (Forwarded) 

Debra J. Rahn
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                                  April 2, 1993
(Phone:  202/358-1639)

RELEASE:  93-61

PRIME AND BACKUP COSMONAUTS NAMED FOR SHUTTLE STS-60 MISSION

        NASA and the Russian Space Agency (RSA) today announced the selection
of Sergei K. Krikalev as the prime mission specialist and Vladimir G. Titov as
the backup mission specialist on the STS-60 mission currently scheduled for
launch in November 1993.

        The two cosmonauts have been undergoing mission specialist training for
at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, since early November 1992.

        Charles F. Bolden, Jr. (Col., USMC) is the STS-60 Commander.  The other
U.S. crewmembers are Pilot Kenneth S. Reightler, Jr. (Capt., USN), and mission
specialists Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, Ph.D., N. Jan Davis, Ph.D., and Ronald M.
Sega, Ph.D.

        Mission objectives include a number of microgravity experiments in
Spacehab-2, the Wake Shield Facility experiment to test the creation of an
ultra-vacuum to produce extremely pure thin film crystals for industrial uses
ranging from microelectronics to lasers and superconductivity, a Capillary
Pumped Loop Experiment to study a method of heat dissipation in space and a
number of small experiments known as Getaway Specialists flown in the orbiter's
payload bay.  Russian Space Agency-sponsored life science activities also will
be included in the mission.

        The flight of a cosmonaut on the STS-60 mission is one element of the
Implementing Agreement on NASA/RSA Cooperation in Human Space Flight,
signed by NASA and RSA on October 5, 1992.  Other elements include the
launch of a NASA astronaut to the Russian space station Mir in March 1995 and
the U.S. Space Shuttle/Mir docking in June 1995.

SERGEI KONSTANTINOVICH KRIKALEV

        Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalev was born on Aug. 27, 1958, in
Leningrad.  He completed his studies at the Institute of Mechanics in Leningrad
in 1981, and then worked in a design bureau where he participated in the
creation of new space technology devices.  He is involved in sport aviation and
holds a Master of Sport in sport aviation.

        Krikalev began cosmonaut training in November 1985 and made his first
spaceflight as flight engineer onboard Soyuz TM-7, launched on Nov. 26, 1988.
Krikalev returned to Earth after having spent 151 days, 11 hours and 8 minutes
in space.  His second flight aboard Mir was May 18, 1991, to March 25, 1992
(312 days).

        Upon his return, Krikalev was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet
Union and also received the Order of Lenin.  In addition, the French awarded
him the title of L'Officer de la Legion d'Honneur.

        Krikalev is married and has a daughter born in 1990.

COL. VLADIMIR GEORGIEVICH TITOV

        Col. Vladimir Georgievich Titov, Soviet Air Force, was born Jan. 1,
1947, in the town of Sretensk, Chitinck region.  Titov graduated from the
Higher Air Force College in Chernigov, Ukraine, in 1970, where he served as a
pilot-instructor until 1974.  Titov has flown 10 different types of aircraft,
has logged over 1300 hours flying time and holds the qualifications of Military
Pilot, 1st Class and Test-Pilot, 3rd Class.

        Titov was selected to join the cosmonaut team in 1976 and in September
1981, served as backup crew member for Soyuz T-5 launched on May 18, 1982.

        Titov made his first spaceflight as Commander of Soyuz T-8, launched on
April 20, 1983.  Titov was supposed to dock with Salyut 7, but was unable to
because the Soyuz rendezvous radar antenna failed to deploy properly.  After
several attempts, Titov aborted the rendezvous to avoid a crash and returned to
Earth after a flight lasting just over 2 days.

        Titov next served as backup for the Soyuz T-9 mission launched on June
27, 1983.

        Titov was onboard Soyuz T-10 on Sept. 27, 1983, which caught fire 1
minute before launch when a propellant line valve failed to close at T-90
seconds.  The fire quickly engulfed the rocket, but controllers were able to
pull the Soyuz descent module clear using the launch escape system.  The crew
landed safely some 2.5 miles (4 km) from the launch vehicle.

        In 1987, he graduated from the Yuri Gagarin Air Force Academy while
working at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.

        Titov was Commander of the Soyuz TM-4 launched on Dec. 21, 1987.
Titov and Musa Manarov set a new record for long duration in space of 365 days,
22 hours and 89 minutes.  Upon his return to Earth, Titov was awarded the title
of Hero of the Soviet Union and received his second Order of Lenin.  In
addition, the French awarded him the title of Commandeur de la Legion
d'Honneur.   In 1990, he and Manarov were awarded the U.S. Harmon Prize, the
first Soviet citizens to win the award, in recognition of their world endurance
record.

        Titov is married and has a daughter born in 1975 and a son born in
1985.

Article: 4535
From: [email protected] (UPI)
Newsgroups: clari.news.gov.usa,clari.news.gov.international
Subject: U.S.-Russia sign space and energy agreements
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 93 8:56:46 PDT
 
	WASHINGTON (UPI) -- The United States and Russia Thursday signed a
series of new agreements on joint venture space and energy cooperation
and control of exports of missile technology.

	Vice President Al Gore and Russian Prime Minister Viktor
Chernomyrdin, who negotiated the agreements during the past two days,
signed the accords that Gore said will ``broaden the U.S.-Russian
relationship.''

	``It is time to leave behind the vestiges of the Cold War and begin a
new relationship between the United States and Russia,'' said Gore.

	He praised the ``business-like approach'' of the Russian leader and
said the new agreements will jump start a new economic partnership
between the two nations.

	``We are turning 40 years of competition into cooperation,'' Gore
said, speaking of the Cold War superpower hostility between the U.S. and
former Soviet Union.

	The vice president also noted that Chernomyrdin has invited him to
Moscow later this year for the next meeting of the Joint Commission on
Space and Energy, and he has accepted.

Article: 4532
From: [email protected] (KENNETH R. BAZINET)
Newsgroups: clari.news.gov.usa,clari.news.gov.international
Subject: U.S.-Russia to sign agreements; Clinton to meet Russian prime minister
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 93 7:04:53 PDT
 
	WASHINGTON (UPI) -- The United States and Russia are expected to begin
tearing down trade and investment barriers Thursday with Vice President
Al Gore and Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin siging agreements
on space, missile technology, and energy issues.

	Gore and Chernomyrdin led teams from the two nations in a series of
intense and often lengthy meetings Wednesday as part of a working
conference of the new U.S.-Russian Joint Commission on Energy and Space,
the White House official said. The meetings resumed Thursday and a
signing ceremony for the multiple agreements was scheduled. Later,
President Clinton was to meet with Chernomyrdin in the Oval Office.

	The high-profile commission was created at the Vancouver meeting in
Canada between Clinton and Russian President Boris Yeltsin last February.

	The Russian visit was postponed from last spring after the
administration protested Moscow's sale of missiles to India. New
assurances were received from the Yeltsin government, paving the way for
the Washington meetings Wednesday and Thursday.

	The White House views trade and investment with the Russians to be
the most significant issue facing the two countries since it includes
oil, gas, and nuclear power. ``And there are barriers on both sides,''
the official said.

	U.S. companies currently have $4 billion worth of energy-related
deals tied up in Russia, the official said. The U.S. has given Russia a
company-by-company breakdown of the contracts, he said.

	Despite the U.S. and Russia being among the nations with the largest
economies in the world, two-way trade last year between the two was only
$3.5 billion.

	``What that tells you is given the fact that this is an enormously
rich country, there are significant barriers and reasons why foreign
firms can't get in there,'' the official said.

	The White House is hoping to lift trade restrictions that the U.S.
placed on the former Soviet Union during the Cold War.

	``The president has put up legislation to the Congress to repeal 60
odd statutes and laws from the Cold War period that in effect made trade
and investment difficult with the former Soviet Union,'' the official said.

	The issue of Russian ``rufusniks,'' also must be dealt with.
Refuseniks are Russians, especially Jews, who are refused permission to
emigrate from Russia. The United States gave Russia a list of 65
refuseniks in July at the Group of Seven summit in Tokyo, official said.

	``The point of the list is just to say that there are still people --
Russian citizens -- being denied emigration,'' the official said.

	One of the key issues will be U.S. assistance in promoting the safety
of Russian nuclear plants. Clinton hopes to devote $100 million in
assistance to Russia for nuclear safety next year, up from $23 million
this year.

    re .40

    I just hope this thing doesn't turn out to be another technology
    give-away like the Apolo-Soyuse(sp) rendevous mission was.

    fred();

Article: 3695
From: [email protected] (David B. Mckissock)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.space
Subject: Goldin on Russian participation
Date: 3 Sep 1993 10:04 EST
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center / Cleveland, Ohio
 
                          Statement by
                        Daniel S. Goldin
                       Administrator, NASA
 
         On the cooperative agreement between the US and
           Russian on Space, Aeronautics and Science.
 
The joint statement on space, aeronautics and scientific
cooperation signed today by Vice President Gore and Russian Prime
Minister Chernomyrdin signal a new era for NASA and a new
direction for space flight.
 
For the first time since the dawn of the Space Age, the
conditions that gave rise to space exploration have changed. Our
presence on the space frontier began as a product of the Cold
War, but that ideological struggle is now over. Cooperation will
replace competition, and a new partnership in space between two
former adversaries offers considerable economic advantages for
both countries. The cross pollination of ideas between our two
spacefaring nations will be healthy and potentially profitable.
Russian participation will not have a significant impact on U.S.
jobs. There will be areas where we rely on proven Russian
systems. But joint developments will provide enhanced technology
to U.S. companies and will lead to new jobs.
 
The development of a common space suit and a common environmental
control and life support system, for example, represent new
industrial opportunities for American and Russian companies. In
developing a solar dynamic power system, a new way to generate
power in space, the engineering expertise that will be brought to
bear by both countries is robust and wide ranging.
 
These are just some of the examples of new opportunities that
will come with this new partnership. We will be investigating
additional opportunities for joint ventures between Russian and
American industries in concert with the Department of Commerce.
 
We must have a long-range vision of the prospects of joining with
the Russians. While there may be minor dislocation of people
working on the space station program, we must lift our view to
the benefits that will come to future generations. Our children's
future should dominate our thinking, not our near-term concerns.
 
Both the United States and Russia have significant experience and
maturity on the space frontier. Through closer cooperation, our
shared capabilities as explorers will only improve, and by
pooling resources, we can keep costs down.
 
The cooperative ventures now under study represent an
advantageous blend of Russian and American capabilities. The
program baseline for the space station will be based on the
designs already developed by the U.S. and our partners in Europe,
Japan and Canada. Russian participation in the space station
program could be readily accommodated with the modular redesigned
space station that we have been working on.
 
The results of the Russian study and the benefits of Russian
participation will be incorporated into a design that will evolve
in consultations between all the international partners over the
next two months. We expect to present a formalized program that
provides  for full agreement with our partners and consultations
with and approvals by our respective governments by November 1, 
1993. This new approach will make a better space station that can
provide more robust science and technology and is infinitely more
capable and safer to operate.
 
In a larger sense, a truly international space program could
signal a new era of peace and cooperation among nations. I
believe the possibilities inherent in these agreements hold
special promise, not just for the U.S. space program, but for all
of the space exploration efforts of the people of Earth. Our
ability to study the Earth, to improve our talents as space
explorers, and to ply the seas of space is improved dramatically
by this new cooperative adventure. It is our common human
heritage as explorers, as seekers of knowledge and pathfinders to
new horizons that will benefit. As a hallmark of international
collaboration, our work in space can truly point the way to a
bright and exciting future.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
           David McKissock		NASA Lewis Research Center
                                           Cleveland, Ohio 44135
    [email protected]
    /pn=david.mckissock/admd=telemail/prmd=lerc/c=us/@x400.msfc.nasa.gov
                   Disclaimer: My Opinions are My Own, not NASA's.....
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Article: 3697
From: [email protected] (David B. Mckissock)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.space
Subject: Gore Remarks/Joint Statements
Date: 3 Sep 1993 10:06 EST
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center / Cleveland, Ohio
 
                         The White House
                  Office of the Vice President
 
For Immediate Release                        September 2, 1993
 
                  Remarks by the Vice President
                    In Signing Ceremony With
             Prime Minister Chernomydrin of Russian
                                
The Prime Minister and I have worked hard over the past two days
to bring to life the vision first sketched by President Clinton
and President Yelstin at their summit in Vancouver: it is time to
leave behind the vestiges of the Cold War and reach for a new
partnership between the United States and Russian.
 
No where will this partnership be so keenly felt as in the area
of high-technology cooperation. Each of our countries spent the
Cold War years pouring our resources into competition. So much
was achieved, but a such a high cost. Now, we can work together
to advance a joint agenda in energy and space, science and
technology, using our cooperation to keep costs down, husband our
limited resources and work together for our mutual benefit.
 
Turning forty years of competition into a future of cooperation
is no easy task. Our Presidents agreed at Vancouver that high-
level attention would be needed to jump-start our cooperation,
and their agreement was the genesis of this commission. Prime
Minister Chernomyrdin and I have focused fully on beginning the
jump-starting process during our two days here in Washington. Our
aim is to broaden the U.S.-Russian partnership so that it
encompasses not only security and foreign policy concerns, but
also the evolution of an economic partnership for the future.
 
Nothing pleases me more than the results that we already see
emerging, especially the agreements on space cooperation that we
have signed here today. Everyone remembers the great firsts that
each of our space programs achieved. Sputnik 1, the first human-
made satellite, electrified the world when it was launched on
October 4, 1957. We were equally excited when Yury Gagarin became
the first human being to fly in space in 1961. Then came the
great period of lunar exploration with the U.S. Apollo program
and, on the Russian side, the Luna probes.
 
But the agreements that we signed here today, as much as they owe
to the accomplishments of that competitive era, most clearly have
their roots in the Apollo-Soyuz rendezvous and docking in July
1975. It was through this project that Russian and American space
scientists and engineers, astronauts and cosmonauts first began
to work together. I am very pleased to have here today General
Tom Stafford and General Alexei Leonov, who flew together on that
pathbreaking mission. Gentlemen, would you stand to be recognized?
 
The future holds more of what the Apollo-Soyuz project foretold:
close work together to minimize costs and cut the time needed to
do projects while achieving more than would otherwise have been
possible. Let me review briefly for you the agreements that we
have signed relating to space: first, the commercial launch
agreement, which will give Russia access to the international
launch services market; second, a joint statement on space
cooperation, which defines a phased approach for cooperation on 
human space flight. This statement embraces the potential for
cooperation on a truly international Space Station if technical
and partnership considerations are met. Finally, two joint
statements, one on environmental monitoring and space science and
the other on aeronautics, will help us to set a broad strategy
for cooperation in global environmental change as well as in the
design of future aircraft.
 
Dan Goldin, our NASA Administrator, and Yury Koptyev, Director of
the Russian Space Agency, will have much to do in coming months
to nail down the agenda of our joint work. I know, however, that
they relish the task, and will stand ready to help.
 
In many ways, the agreements on space that we signed today
represent the leading edge of what we are striving to accomplish,
Russian and the United States together: from broad market access
for Russian high-technology goods to long-term projects to work
together in complex, productive ways.
 
[6 paragraphs about Missile Technology Control Regime, gas, oil,
and nuclear energy not typed in.]
 
The Prime Minister and I have agreed in the course of our
meetings that the commission should specifically focus its work
on two other very important subjects: the environment, and
science. We will be organizing two groups to carry forward these
agendas, and will see their first inputs at our next commission
meeting, which will take place within the next few months. The
Prime Minister has invited me to visit Russia this fall, and I
look forward to doing so.
 
In conclusion, I would like to extend my thanks to the many
people on both the U.S. and Russian side who have made this
meeting possible. Mr. Prime Minister, if its beginning foretells
the future, this Commission will be one of the most productive
engines that we have to propel us forward into new areas of
cooperation and partnership. I welcome the challenge, as I know
you do, and I heartily look forward to working with you.
 
[end of statement]
 
           United States - Russian Joint Commission on
                        Energy and Space
 
             Joint Statement on Cooperation in Space
 
Having reviewed the status of the Agreement between the United
States of America and the Russian Federation Concerning
Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space for
Peaceful Purposes dated June 17, 1992, the Parties note with
satisfaction past agreement on the following: the flight of a
Russian cosmonaut on the Space Shuttle System in 1993 and 1994,
and American astronauts on the MIR station, the docking and a
joint flight of these two space complexes in 1995. These
activities are consistent with the national space programs of
both countries and the overall development of a spirit of trust,
partnership, and long-term political and scientific and
technological cooperation between Russia and the United States.
 
Based on the agreement reached at a meeting of the U.S. and
Russian Presidents in Vancouver on April 3-4, 1993 and June 17,
1992, the Parties see great promise and mutual benefit through
cooperation in space science and exploration activities.
 
Given the particular importance for Russia and the U.S. of their
respective efforts in developing a new generation of orbital
stations for scientific and technological progress and human
activities in space, the Parties regard further cooperation in
this area as most important, and consistent with the interests of
both Russia and the U.S., as well as the broader international
community.
 
With this in mind it is the intent of the U.S. and Russia to
undertake a cooperative human space flight program. Interim
investigation has already indicated potential advantages of joint
cooperative activities in a truly international space station
program. The Parties intend to pursue such cooperation in
accordance with the following principles:
 
 -   joining on a mutually beneficial basis the resources and the
     scientific, technological, and industrial potentials of
     Russia and the U.S. in space activities to carry out a
     large-scale program of scientific, technical, and
     technological research;
 
 -   working with each of our current partners, and in accordance
     with earlier international obligations assumed by each of
     the Parties under the Freedom and MIR projects;
 
 -   operating in an orbit which is accessible by both U.S. and
     Russian resources;
 
 -   utilizing compatible service systems, enhancing reliability
     of the station and increasing the flexibility of
     transportation and technical maintenance;
 
 -   performing activities under cooperative programs on mutually
     beneficial terms, and including on a contract basis the
     procurement of individual systems and units or the provision
     of services.
 
The first phase of our joint programs begins immediately and is 
designed to form a basis for resolution of engineering and
technical problems. This initial phase encompasses an expansion
of our bilateral program involving the U.S. Space Shuttle and the
Russian MIR Space Station. The MIR will be made available for
U.S. experiments for up to two years of total U.S. astronaut stay
time. The number of Space Shuttle flights and the length of crew
stay time will depend upon the details of the experiments to be
defined by November 1, 1993. During phase one, the use of the
Russian modules "Priroda" and "Spektr," equipped with U.S.
experiments, could undertake a wide-scale research program. These
missions will provide valuable in-orbit experience in rendezvous,
docking, and joint space-based research in life sciences,
microgravity, and Earth resources. It will bring to reality
performance of large-scale space operations in the future. The
Parties consider it is reasonable to initiate in 1993 the joint
development of a solar dynamic power system with a test flight of
the Space Shuttle and MIR in 1996, the joint development of
environmental control and life support systems, and the joint
development of a common space suit.
 
Subsequent joint efforts on the second phase will be directed to
the use of a Russian MIR module of the next generation, in
conjunction with a U.S. laboratory module and the U.S. Space
Shuttle. This facility would provide an interim human-tended
space science capability where significant scientific
experimentation can take place in a microgravity environment and
also provide practical experience gained out of the use of
different transportation systems (including the U.S. Space
Shuttle and the Russian Proton), performance of complex
construction and assembly efforts and command and control process
of orbital structure of considerable complexity. Successful
implementation of this phase could constitute a key element of a
truly international space station.
 
It is envisioned that the U.S. will provide compensation to
Russia for services to be provided during phase one in the amount
of $100 million dollars in FY 1994. Additional funding of $300
million dollars for compensation of phase one and for mutually
agreed upon phase two activities, will be provided through 1997.
This funding and appropriate agreements will be confirmed and
signed by no later than November 1, 1993. Other forms of mutual
cooperation and compensation will be considered as appropriate.
 
All the above programs are mutually connected and are considered
as a single package, the main goal of which is to create an
effective scientific research complex earlier and with less cost
than if done separately. The Parties are convinced that a unified
Space Station can offer significant advantages to all concerned,
including current U.S. partners, Canada, Europe, and Japan.
 
The precise planning process and organization of drafted phases
of joint activity will give the opportunity to benefit both
countries through expanded cooperative efforts on the space
station project.
 
The Parties hereby instruct NASA and RSA, in pursuance of this
Joint Statement, to develop by November 1, 1993, a detailed plan
of activities for an international space station. This will serve
as the basis for early review and decision within each government
and as the basis for consultations with the international
partners. Upon conclusion of the process of government approval
and consultation, appropriate implementing agreements will be
signed. NASA and RSA will include within the plan overall 
configuration, volumes, and forms of contributions and mutual
compensation for Russian and U.S. activities.
 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
           David McKissock		NASA Lewis Research Center
                                           Cleveland, Ohio 44135
    [email protected]
    /pn=david.mckissock/admd=telemail/prmd=lerc/c=us/@x400.msfc.nasa.gov
                   Disclaimer: My Opinions are My Own, not NASA's.....
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

RE: <<< Note 476.41 by CSC32::HADDOCK "Don't Tell My Achy-Breaky Back" >>>

>    I just hope this thing doesn't turn out to be another technology
>    give-away like the Apolo-Soyuse(sp) rendevous mission was.

If anything, the Russians might give us technology! After all, they're the ones
who have had a permanently manned space station for the last five or more
years, not to mention the years of experience with Salyut stations before Mir.

By the way, the cover photo on the August 23rd (I think) issue of Aviation
Week I found simply amazing and beautiful. It's a fold-out two-sheet spread
containing a photo of Mir, with the Earth's limb as a background, with THREE
Progress and Soyuz-TM craft in the viscinity: two docked and one about 30
meters away. The picture was taken from a FOURTH Soyuz-TM ship. The whole
assemblage -- Mir core, add-on modules, re-supply craft, the big tower that was
erected, and the solar panels -- just makes an awesome sight.
						-- Tom

re. AW&ST cover -

That was a really striking cover. I'm writing to see if I can get a copy of that
picture. The impression that I got was that the place was kind of ramshackle
in a cozy sort of way. I mean there are bits and pieces sticking out every
which way. The experimental tower with the thruster box on it is canted over
about 10 degrees, braced every which way at the base. (I know. That puts the
thrusters over the longtitudinal center of gravity, but it still _looks_ funky.)

But they are out there, and I'm sure they've learned a lot from their stations
and it looks like we're going to be renting room from 'em. You've gotta respect
the guys.

That issue also said MIR took a few hits during the Perseids, including one 
that punched a softball size hole through a solar panel, though it didn't seem
to affect output much. They were considering using the manned maneuvering pack
to go out and do an inspection of the whole station.

Mike H

In Era of Space Detente, Beware of Bad Bargains.  ----.  By James Oberg -
Sentinel DOW Story
Size: 6774
                Sentinel Delivered by WGS Advanced Development:
        DIGITAL INTERNAL USE ONLY BY INFORMATION PROVIDER AGREEMENT:


  Vice President Gore's meetings yesterday and today with Russian Prime 
Minister Victor Chernomyrdin to discuss space-related issues are expected to 
yield greater cooperation between the two countries, particularly in areas 
such as space launch vehicles and launch facilities. Given U.S. budget 
constraints and the wide variety of high-quality Russian space hardware and 
services now being offered on the world market, such proposals are well worth 
considering. But extreme caution is called for, as the Russians may be trying 
to sell the U.S. goods they don't reliably possess.

  Common suggestions focus on placing the NASA space station in an orbit far 
enough north to be serviced by the old Soviet spaceport at Baikonur in 
Kazakhstan. Russian super-rockets in the Energiya program, the world's most 
powerful, are also under consideration for transporting into space many 
sections of the station's modular design.

  Russian space officials have been enthusiastically promoting these ideas. 
They see a source of financial salvation for their own agencies and 
industries. So desperate are the Russians for the "American option" that they 
recently surrendered to U.S. State Department pressure over alleged "military 
rocket technology proliferation." That case involved the Russians' sharing 
with India their small-thrust liquid-hydrogen engine know-how, an expertise 
uniquely suited to communications and scientific launch vehicles and to a 
rocket technology that has never been used by any nation for military 
purposes. Nevertheless, the Russians agreed to break their existing contract 
with India and to withhold the manufacturing technology, reportedly as part of 
a deal to receive equally valued U.S. space contracts.

  American space industries have been understandably reluctant partners in 
this new U.S.-Russian "space detente." They clearly would prefer that the 
space funding be given to them for the desired services. But when the "Russian 
option" provides services at a fraction of the American cost and years ahead 
of American schedules, congressional budget-cutters find the option 
attractive. As an alternative to total cancellation of major space projects, 
U.S. aerospace giants have found they can live with the deal.

  But all is not well with the fundamental underpinnings of the plan. Both the 
Russian space center at Baikonur and the Russian super-rocket Energiya are 
very bad bargains. By the time the U.S. may have to rely on their promised 
services, they may no longer exist.

  The Energiya rocket, equivalent in power to the Saturn V moon rocket 
developed during the moon race in the 1960s, has flown only twice. Once, in 
1987, it carried a thrown-together 100-ton payload that tumbled out of control 
and never made it into orbit. Then, in 1988, it carried a stripped-down 
unmanned space shuttle on a two-orbit mission.

  Since then, all flight hardware has been rotting and rusting away in storage 
halls at Baikonur. The Soviet shuttle, an immense strategic blunder, slowly 
strangled from lack of funding. It was finally terminated officially a few 
months ago. No further flights of the Energiya booster are even planned, 
unless lots of American money shows up, and even then the launches couldn't 
occur before 1997 or 1998.

  Essentially, the entire Russian rocket program would have to be rebuilt from 
scratch. Key industrial partners in the project are now outside the Russian 
federation, and many of those factories have already been converted to other 
manufacturing. Between a third and a half of the most experienced personnel 
have already left the program for better-paying jobs with more secure futures. 
Existing hardware has been cannibalized for other projects or sold off as 
scrap.

  What is more, the Baikonur Cosmodrome, as Russia's main space center is 
called, is a walking corpse, already evacuated by its most energetic veterans 
and now long abandoned by the Soviet support bureaucracies that used to make 
it a semi-tolerable duty location. Launchings continue under skeleton staffs, 
but increasingly serious breakdowns and worker food riots are threatening to 
bring the delicate high-tech rocket work to a halt.

  Two recent space failures illustrate how close modern rocket technology runs 
to the edge of disaster.

  The Zenit rocket, which serves both as an independent launch vehicle and as 
a booster for the Energiya heavy lifter, is manufactured at a plant in 
Ukraine. Between 1985 and 1991 it had a string of successes, but suddenly two 
years ago the vehicle underwent a series of random flight failures caused by 
inadequate preparation and quality control from the Ukrainian factory. An 
explosion destroyed one of the two launch pads, which has not been rebuilt.

  Then an independent booster program, the Proton, was done in by a squabble 
over which Moscow agency owned it. A technical bureau that had been locked out 
of a profit-sharing plan decided to withdraw its inspectors from the launch 
site, and the very next vehicle fell into the Pacific Ocean. Out of four pads 
at Baikonur for the Proton rocket, only one is operational.

  As if all this weren't enough, there are other problems with the Baikonur 
site. Ecologically, the region is beyond salvation. As the Aral Sea to its 
west continues to dry up, emanations from the exposed salt flats, laced with 
decades of pesticide pollution in the cotton fields upstream, are blown by the 
choking summer winds eastward across the desert to blanket the city of Leninsk 
where the space workers live. Infant mortality and birth defects in the area 
are unendurably high.

  The government of Kazakhstan has claimed sovereignty over the base but 
cannot afford to provide basic services such as power and water, much less 
technical services. Also looming as a future crisis is the question of 
political rights for large Russian minorities within the borders of 
Kazakhstan, particularly in the northern regions where they actually form the 
majority and where sentiment is growing for partition and ultimate reunion 
with Russia. None of these flash points bode well for the stability of the 
Baikonur spaceport.

  Conceivably, the Russian government might actually get many of the hoped-for 
U.S. space dollars for expanded joint work, since there is much in the Russian 
space program well worth buying, leasing or licensing. Its space station 
hardware and experience can be extremely valuable. But the price of rebuilding 
the already collapsed infrastructure of Baikonur and the Energiya rocket is 
too high. Fruitful U.S.-Russian space cooperation must depend on cold, hard 
realities, not on echoes of past fading glories.

  ---

  Mr. Oberg is an aerospace engineer residing in Houston.
% ====== Internet DOWvision Codes
storyCounter: 1950
Storydate: 09/02/1993
Headline: .In Era of Space Detente, Beware of Bad Bargains.  ----.  By James Oberg
transmissionTime: 0225
Time: 2141
categoryIndustry: I/ARO
categoryGovernment: G/EXE G/IGV G/NSA
categoryMarketSector: M/TEC
categoryGeographic: R/EEU R/EU R/FE R/II R/KZ R/NME R/PRM R/RS R/UKR R/UR R/US

    re .43
    
>If anything, the Russians might give us technology! After all, they're the ones
>who have had a permanently manned space station for the last five or more
>years, not to mention the years of experience with Salyut stations before Mir.
    
    All Mir shows is a willingness to do it.  Mir is a pile of junk
    compared to U.S. spece technology.  Even Skylab was better, but
    we threw it away like a used Kleenex.
    
    fred();

Sorry if this starts a long digression.

RE: <<< Note 476.46 by CSC32::HADDOCK "Don't Tell My Achy-Breaky Back" >>>
    
>    All Mir shows is a willingness to do it.  Mir is a pile of junk
>    compared to U.S. spece technology.

I'll take their pile of junk then, thanks very much. For example, that awful
automated docking system that for some strange reason works so well. Isn't it
also funny how their junk has allowed them to access space much more than the
fine U.S. hardware has?

For whatever reasons, the Soviet "low-technology" approach has been pretty
effective.
						-- Tom

Article 22279 of sci.space:
From: [email protected] (Dick Buenneke)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: White House Backgrounder on Russian Space Coop
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Date: 7 Sep 93 17:54:25 GMT
Followup-To: sci.space
Organization: RAND, Santa Monica, Calif.
Lines: 390
NNTP-Posting-Host: buenneke.rand.org


THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
______________________________________________________________


BACKGROUND BRIEFING
BY
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL


September 2, 1993


The Briefing Room


4:56 P.M. EDT

		
	MR. CLARKE:  Good afternoon.  We will now have the BACKGROUND 
BRIEFING on the visit of Prime Minister Chernomyrdin of Russia.  This 
briefing is ON BACKGROUND and it's not for sound or camera.  Our briefers 
today are: [names deleted].  Again, this is on background.
	

[General background of meeting deleted]

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thank you.  I think a lot of you 
got a pretty good idea of what was discussed in our space session this 
morning because we got a little view afterwards in the press briefing 
that was given at the time of the signing ceremony.  But let me just run 
you through quickly some of the points.
	
	The meeting today was actually preceded by a very intense period 
of bilateral work through the month of August.  We had been talking to 
the Russians for some time about how we can -- actually since the 
Vancouver Summit -- about how we can proceed together with some very 

close cooperation on space, because we really saw that, as many of you 
have heard me say in the last couple days, as a very good first step in 
the kind of high-technology partnership that we want to pursue with the 
Russians over time. 
	
	So, from Vancouver on, we were working with the Russians and 
talking to them about space cooperation.  We really got a chance to sit 
down with some technical teams, round about the first of August they got 
here, and they had a very short period of time to work through a lot of 
technical questions about how you can, in many ways, marry up two space 
programs to get some good technical work out of them in a fairly short 
period of time.  Because the whole idea here was to get the two sides 
working together quickly to begin to do some good work together, and to 
begin to shorten up the time periods needed for some of these activities, 
and to bring down costs.  
	
	So there was a sense that we wanted to work intensively, but we 
also then had the goal of this meeting starting on September 1st, and 
ending today on the 2nd.  So we wanted to get something done for that 
agenda.
	
	The meeting today was a good one because we had two briefers who 
really knew their stuff.  One, Dan Golden, the administrator of NASA; and 
the other, Yuri Koptev, the Director of the Russian Space Agency.  And 
they have been working very closely together.  They were the kind of 
leaders of these teams that have been working over the past month, and 
Koptev has been back and forth from Moscow several times.  
	
	It had, I think, a really good effect on the overall outcome, 
because there was good high-level attention on both sides, and you could 
see that today in the briefing.  They did do that briefing this morning 
in the session for the President, for the Vice President, rather, and for 
the Prime Minister and for all of those present and went into some 
detail.  And I thought that was really very worthwhile.
	
	I don't want to lose sight, though, in talking about the very 
important space cooperation of all the pieces that were agreed to here.  
One very important piece -- and one that we believe is really a very good 
signal of Russia's intent to be a really reliable partner in terms of its 
nonproliferation behavior, its willingness to abide by the principles of 
the missile technology control regime and be a reliable partner in its 
sales of high-technology goods and services -- was this memorandum of 
understanding on the missile technology control regime.  I would put that 
at the head of the list, really, of what was signed today.
	
	The second piece, which is the precursor of where we want to go 
with high-technology access for Russian goods and services, was the 
Commercial Space Launch Agreement, and that was the second important 
piece that was signed.  Third, then, is this Joint Statement on Space 
Cooperation.  I'll go over that in a bit more detail in a moment.  But 
there are two other pieces that we haven't heard all that much about, but 
I think are very important.  The one is the Environmental and Global 
Monitoring and Space Sciences Joint Statement.  They're all put together 
they're all put together in one piece, but the overall goal of that is to 
get the two sides working together in more organized ways on things like 
Mission to Planet Earth, getting a lot of pieces put together of already 
international cooperative activity involving the Russians and the United 
States, and getting them in a more organized mode to work together on 
global monitoring. 
	
	Space science, there is a lot to do there as well.  And there 
will be some study activities undertaken to lay out an agenda for more 
space science work. 
	
	The aeronautic side -- one again, here we were looking for areas 
where cooperation can set new strategic objectives and directions.  In 

the aeronautics side, clearly you're looking at developing aircraft in 
the future.  I want to stress that this particular agreement will focus 
on kind of the fundamental research and technology issues, research and 
development issues, and we'll do a lot of work on some projects involving 
some very good experimental capabilities that the Russians have -- test 
stands and wind tunnels and that type of thing -- so it will take good 
advantage of some very good capabilities they have.
	
	Once again, this would be working not in the space area, but in 
the aerodynamic area, in aircraft development.
	
	Now, let me go back and say a few things about the Space 
Cooperation Agreement.  What we have, basically, is three phases that 
we're talking about.  Phase I and Phase II are essentially bilateral 
efforts that will be more near-term efforts over the next couple of 
years.  We will focus in these bilateral efforts on proof of principle, 
answering technical questions, working closely together to develop all 
the kinds of precursors we need to start thinking about a truly 
international space station where the Russians would be involved as 
partners.
	
	Part of that process over the next several months will involve 
very close consultation with our international partners --with Japan, 
with Europe, with the Canadians to insure that everybody's on board and 
is ready to work together in this effort.  The other part that I think 
Dan Golden brought up very effectively this morning is that both sides 
need to work within their own political systems to work with Congress 
here in Washington and with the parliament in Moscow to put together that 
side of it. 
	
	And a very important aspect of what we're trying to do is to go 
about this in a very responsible way in terms of the fiscal issues that 
both sides have to grapple with.  So that will be also an important part 
of what we are working on over the next couple of months.
	
	The other thing that I think is very important to focus on 
overall is win-win, in looking at the kinds of projects we could do with 
the Russians, once again starting at Vancouver, going through the summer, 
picking up the pace in August and ending on this day, with an agreement 
to go further and really get down in the weeds with the technical issues.  
We always were governed by the principle that we were looking for win-win 
situations, situations where the Russians would benefit in terms of 
getting good project work, we would benefit from finding project work and 
other kinds of joint activities that would help us to bring down our 
costs, shorten up the amount of time involved, and get us to a space 
station faster and in a more effective and efficient way.
	
	I want to emphasize and reemphasize, though, that we have a 
baseline space station program.  And what we do with the Russians will be 
a bonus to that baseline space station program.  So I do not see it 
affecting our prime contractor relationship or anything like that.  It is 
a situation where what we do with the Russians will take the baseline 
program and provide a bonus to it.  
So, once again, we get lower costs, shorter time to get activities going 
in space, shorter time to get construction going, shorter time to get 
people flying in experiments underway.  And that is, I think, very, very 
important to emphasize. 
	
	Let me just say a few words, and then I'm going to open the floor 
to questions.  You'll probably have some questions for my colleague as 
well.
	
	The things that we're looking for experience in, in more detail 
are intensive experience in complex construction activities in space, 
command and control where we've got for the first time since the Apollo-
Soyuz project in '75 -- you're going to have Russians and Americans 

working closely together on some very complex operations, you'll also 
have the other international partners involved.  So there will be some 
complex kinds of issues to do with command and control and 
interoperability.  And those will be important to work out carefully over 
time.  
	
	We see a lot of what we do in Phase I and Phase II with the Mir 
module, with the Shuttle, as bringing us along in that process.  And a 
lot of it will involve construction activities in space. 
	
	But I wanted to stress that we're not going to limit ourselves to 
working that set of problems, that there will be a lot of science going 
on as well.  And that is the reason that the Priroda inspector modules 
were brought into Phase I, because we wanted to be able to begin early 
with some scientific experiments that would get us to where we needed to 
be with some life science experiments and with some other kinds of 
scientific experiments.  
	
	So I think that we will really be working along two paths, one of 
which will be to get us quicker to a space station, the other which will 
be to continue the process of doing some really useful science in the 
meantime, and we really welcome the opportunity to do that with the 
Russian side.
	
	I think that that's all I'm going to say, and let's open the 
floor up to questions.
	
	Q	Tell me a little bit about the space station.  You're 
going with the baseline.  Does that mean the redesigned space station 
will be built as planned, or will some components of it be assembled, 
launched and attached from Russia?
	
	SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  We've got some work to do over 
the next couple of months.  And I should have said that between now and 
November 1 there will be an intense study period going on where we look 
at some of these really important technical questions about what can be 
done by the Russian side to add to the capabilities that we would have 
under the space station program.
	
	It will possibly involve some capabilities, some modules and some 
overall equipment that we would not have otherwise have had.  For 
example, the solar power dynamics program   that was mentioned in the 
joint statement.  That is essentially a new means of generating power in 
space and will be an important experimental effort that I think could 
really pay us some important dividends.  But we really need a couple of 
months to look at exactly where we're going to go.
	
	Q	It doesn't mean a Russian modification of the redesigned 
baseline space station?
	
	SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  It means a Russian-provided 
bonus to the redesigned space station.
	
	Q	The Vice President this morning said that he hoped or 
that this would allow the launching and the orbiting of the space station 
four years earlier than originally envisioned.  When was it originally 
envisioned and what date are we shooting for now?
	
	SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Well, you'd have to know exactly 
when your starting point is going to be and that's still up in the air.  
And it is part of what will be agreed in our consultations with Congress 
over the next couple of months.  There's a lot of work to be done.  But 
we're clearly looking at getting something up and flying in the mid-1990 
time frame.  Whether that's '96, '97 -- I'm just not sure exactly what 
the beginning point is going to be. 
	
	But there has been a concern out there that there would be a 

stretch-out that would go on that would affect our ability to fly 
anything before pretty much the turn of the century.
	
	Q	But was it originally planned in the year 2000?
	
	SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  I'm going to have to defer you 
to NASA.  I don't know -- I don't remember exactly what the schedule 
looked like.  But really, the significant cutback in the schedule is 
there if we look at what we can do with the Russians.  And a lot of that 
has to do with the experience that we gain on things like construction 
capabilities and interoperabilities and so forth because we're going 
quicker up the learning curve, essentially.
	
	Q	Can you compare for us the percentages of American and 
non-American content, participation, whatever the proper term would be, 
in the space station absent this agreement and with this agreement?
	
	SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  I'm sorry, Doyle, I just don't 
know yet, because you also have to think of the partners and what -- I 
assume that's part of your question.  Actually, I could probably refer 
you to NASA for part of that in terms of what the overall volume of 
international partner participation is at the present time and then what 
she would envision with the Russians.  So it's just too difficult for me 
to answer that particular question.
	
	Q	It is very tempting to infer and I suspect some 
contractors will quickly infer that when you bring in a big new partner 
with the Russians, even if you want to call it a bonus, that may mean a 
quicker launch, but the U.S. part of the product is going to be a smaller 
proportion.  Is there any way out of that?  I can't figure out another 
way to make the mathematics come out.
	
	SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  I understand that point very 
well because we thought long and hard about it.  And there are clearly 
some questions that we'll need to look at over the next couple of months 
as to what exactly the impact is going to be on our own contractors here 
in the United States.  But our view is, in looking at it early over the 
last couple of months is that there will be enhanced work in the areas of 
integration, particularly, that may, in effect -- and net you more jobs, 
you'd get a net job gain rather than a net job loss.  This is something 
we're going to be looking at very, very seriously over the next couple of 
months.
	
	But I think it is fair to say that the question does not have a 
clear answer, and that working -- where you get the cost savings is in 
the shortening up the time period.  It's not in the dropping of big 
pieces of hardware.  That we already know.
	
	Q	In terms of the $100 million in '94 and then the $300 
million for the next three years, what precisely are we going to be 
buying in that?  Is that just for the use of Mir I over the period, or is 
there something else to it?
	
	SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  The Mir I module, use of the Mir 
I module plus the space shuttle in the so-called Phase I, plus SPEKTRE 
and Priroda, the Fiscal 1994 percentage of that is $100 million.  And how 
much of that work is done in Fiscal 1994 is yet to be seen, and that is 
something once again we're going to be working on determining that budget 
between now and November 1st.  But there will be some work under the 
additional $300 million in the Phase I part of it with, I suspect, the 
science programs -- once again, the SPEKTRE and Priroda --various 
experiments.  And, by the way, the experiments themselves will be in a 
process of definition between now and November 1.  NASA has already begun 
to talk to the scientific community about defining those experiments. 
	
	But the greatest -- I would suspect the greatest part of the 
additional $300 million will be spent up in Phase II.  It's just at the 
present time, we've got enough work to do to define, number one, what 
Phase II looks like and, number two, what its budget is going to be, that 
it's difficult for me to see where the line is going to be drawn.
	
	Q	Can you explain what the SPEKTRE and Priroda projects 
are?
	
	SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Oh, the SPEKTRE and Priroda?  
They're modules, they're Russian modules that will be flown with the Mir 
I and the space shuttle and will have on them some capability for doing 
scientific experiments -- rads and so forth for doing scientific 
experiments.  And there will be a number of experiments that will be 
thought out, worked out, planned over the next couple of months.  It's 
very important, I think, to begin early to get some science done, in 
addition to just the overall engineering feat of getting this thing up 
and constructed.
	
	Q	Will they be flown up by the shuttle and then attached to 
MIR?
	
	SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  That is one idea we're looking 
at.

[Q&A on other topics deleted]


Q	A quick question in terms of timing of these meetings.  
Back during the dispute of the sale of the rocket technology to India 
there was a cancelled visit.  Were these agreements that were signed 
today originally scheduled to be signed back then?
	
	ANOTHER SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Let me speak to the energy side 
and then ask my colleague to help out on the space side.  We had intended 
back in May and June to have a series of agreements on the energy side, 
both Ex-Im, OPIC and also some energy cooperation agreements.  
	
	On the space side?
	
	SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  We needed some more time in June 
to work these issues with the Russians, and so we mutually agreed to put 
session off for a couple months.  And some of the key agreements that we 
needed more time to work on were the MTCR agreements.  And at that time 
the space launch, commercial space launch agreement also needed a bit 
more time to conclude.  And we did that in the weeks following.  It took 
another two, three weeks to get things wrapped up.  But it was a period 
where we benefited from having some more time.

[Q&A on other topics deleted]	
	
Q	The space station survived by a very narrow margin in the 
House.  Was this necessary as an argument to the opponents in Congress 
that this would make the station cheaper enough and earlier enough to 
make it a good sell, a better international project, et cetera?  How can 
you explain --
	
	SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Well, I said we needed some time 
to work these issues with the Congress, and I meant it.  There are people 
on both sides of the issue in Congress.  Some who say that this is real 
bonus to the program, as we say it is.  And will help not only in terms 
of getting us more station faster, but will also be what we also think it 
is which is a terrific symbol of new partnership with the Russian side.
	
	There are others, however, who feel differently.  And I think 
that I cannot say that the effect of this particular, this particular 
effort is consistent across the Congress.  There are just very different 
views about it.  But there are quite a few Congressmen and Senators who 
are enthusiastic about the Russian participation.
	
	THE PRESS:  Thank you.

END5:35 P.M. EDT



-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dick Buenneke                         E-mail: [email protected]
RAND Graduate School                  Phone: (310) 393-0411, Ext. 7382
1700 Main Street                      Fax:   (310) 393-4818
P.O. Box 2138                         "All facts speak for themselves,
Santa Monica, Calif.  90407-2138       All opinions are mine alone"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

re Note 476.47 by LHOTSE::DAHL:

> RE: <<< Note 476.46 by CSC32::HADDOCK "Don't Tell My Achy-Breaky Back" >>>
>     
> >    All Mir shows is a willingness to do it.  Mir is a pile of junk
> >    compared to U.S. spece technology.
> 
> I'll take their pile of junk then, thanks very much. For example, that awful
> automated docking system that for some strange reason works so well. Isn't it
> also funny how their junk has allowed them to access space much more than the
> fine U.S. hardware has?
> 
> For whatever reasons, the Soviet "low-technology" approach has been pretty
> effective.
  
        Strange parallels to discussions of Digital technology vs.
        personal computer technology!

    
    re .47
    
>I'll take their pile of junk then, thanks very much. For example, that awful
>automated docking system that for some strange reason works so well. 
    
    Know where they got that rendevous/docking system?  From the U.S. from
    Gemini/Soyuse(sp).  The U.S. gave it to them so they could find the
    rendevous.  Before that they couldn't rendevous with an astroid.
    
    >Isn't it
>also funny how their junk has allowed them to access space much more than the
>fine U.S. hardware has?
    
    We had the same thing with Skylab 10 years before, but couldn't get the 
    funding to keep it up there.   The Shuttle is just not designed for 
    long duration flights.
    
>For whatever reasons, the Soviet "low-technology" approach has been pretty
>effective.
    
    About all Mir is good for is sending up human guine(sp) pigs for long
    duration flights to see what happens to them.  No thanks.

re .50
    
>    Know where they got that rendezvous/docking system?  From the U.S. from
>    Gemini/Soyuz.  The U.S. gave it to them so they could find the
>    rendezvous.  Before that they couldn't rendezvous with an asteroid.
    
    Actually the docking system isn't *that* good. A number of attempted
    docks have had to be aborted (and retried).
    
    Even if the docking system were obtained for ASTP (Is that what you
    mean?) it would seem likely that the Soviets have adapted it in the
    intervening 18 years.
    
>    About all Mir is good for is sending up human guinea pigs for long
>    duration flights to see what happens to them.  No thanks.
    
    What is the source of your information to make this statement?
    
    As I understand it the Mir core has attached to it a module, Qvant(sp?),
    for doing astrophysics and a module, Kristal(sp?), for doing materials
    processing. In any case if humanity is serious about going into space,
    research into the human physiological effects of microgravity is
    necessary.
    
    You also have to get "low tech" in perspective; "lower" might be more
    accurate. It indeed may be the case that Mir hardware is lower tech than
    the US *could* build and orbit but that's like saying that I *could* finish
    a marathon. Furthermore the Soviets, in supplying their space station,
    achieve reliability and timeliness that the US doesn't look like achieving
    for many years.

Yes, they are truely doing materials science and several "returns" have 
been listed in the progress undocking status updates.

They aren't just sitting around waiting for the next crew to arrive so 
they can leave. Even if they only do an hour of work per day, those are
hours were not putting in.

RE: <<< Note 476.50 by CSC32::HADDOCK "Don't Tell My Achy-Breaky Back" >>>
    
>    Know where they got that rendevous/docking system?  From the U.S. from
>    Gemini/Soyuse(sp).  The U.S. gave it to them so they could find the
>    rendevous.  Before that they couldn't rendevous with an astroid.

Not accurate. The mating hardware was derived from the androgynous docking unit
developed by the U.S. for the ASTP mission, but some of the most interesting
components such as the radars and other avionics were developed by them. 
    
>    We had the same thing with Skylab 10 years before, but couldn't get the 
>    funding to keep it up there.

Yes indeed, letting Skylab de-orbit was quite a shame.

>    The Shuttle is just not designed for long duration flights.

The U.S.'s limited access to space in recent years has not been caused by the
shuttle's short duration capability, it has been caused by the shuttle's
unreliability and high intrinsic cost. The shuttle is, in many ways, an
engineering marvel, but it's a poor operational craft. In contrast, a vehicle
like the Soyuz-TM is not such an engineering marvel (though any craft that can
take people to orbit and back is pretty good in my book); it's claim to fame in
my book is its operational effectiveness.
    
>    About all Mir is good for is sending up human guine(sp) pigs for long
>    duration flights to see what happens to them.  No thanks.

A mentioned by other replies, this is not true. Even if it were, however, a
major purpose of Freedom has been to get more experience with long-term human
stays in space. To be fair to both station programs, then, you might as well
say no thanks to Freedom (which perhaps is justified, but that's another
story).

I'm quite excited at the prospect of a joint Freedom/Mir 2 station, as is now
in the early stages of being worked out, starting with the government-to-
government agreement signed recently. It should be a win-win situation.
						-- Tom

Article: 15039
From: [email protected] (Chris Jones)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: STS-63 Mir Flyby?
Date: 13 Sep 93 09:13:22 EDT
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: Kendall Square Research Corp
 
In article <[email protected]>, quagga@trystero (Quagga) writes:

>In article <[email protected]>,
>Brian Stuart Thorn <[email protected]> wrote:
>>NASA announced the flight crew for the STS-63 mission this week.
>>[...]        The crew will include [...]
>>					Cosmonaut Titov
>
>I have to ask tho... is it THAT Titov? Theres one majorly
>veteran cosmonaut Titov... could it possibly be him?
 
There are two cosmonauts named Titov.
 
Gherman Titov flew on Vostok 2 in August 1961, completing 17 orbits of
Earth.  He suffered from nausea from orbit 5 until he went to
sleep (probably the firat case of Space Adaptation Sickness) causing
the flight of Vostok 3 to be delayed.  He never flew again, although
he stayed active in the space program in various capacities I can't
remember right now (he was a General last I recall). 
 
Vladimir Titov is the cosmonaut who is in training for the upcoming
shuttle mission.  He has extensive EVA experience (3 EVAs with total
duration of 13 hours 47 minutes) acquired during his flight to Mir. 
(I may have missed some flights, but he's flown on Soyuz T-8 (flight
to Salyut 7 ending prematurely because of a rendezvous failure), was a
passenger in the only use of an escape rocket when the launcher caught
on fire (Soyuz T-10A, 26 September 1983), and flew on Mir from
December 1986 to December 1987 (365 d 22 h 38 m 57 s), currently the
longest human space flight.) 
--
Chris Jones    [email protected]

From:	US1RMC::"[email protected]" "MAIL-11 Daemon" 16-DEC-1993 
To:	[email protected]
CC:	
Subj:	HQ 93-221/NASA/RSA HUMAN FLT

Debra J. Rahn
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                                            
December 16, 1993
(Phone:  202/358-1639)

RELEASE:  93-221

NASA AND RUSSIA SIGN AERONAUTICS AGREEMENT IN MOSCOW

NASA and the Russian State Committee for the Defense Branches of Industry 
(GOSKOMOBORONPROM) signed a memorandum of understanding today in Moscow 
to cooperate in eight areas in fundamental aeronautical sciences.  The 
agreement was signed by NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin and 
GOSKOMOBORONPROM Chairman Mr. Glukhikh. 

"With the signing today of the new Aeronautics agreement, NASA is 
entering a new partnership with our Russian colleagues to advance 
aeronautical science," said Goldin. 

The agreement calls for cooperative activities in the following areas:  
     
  o  Transition and Turbulence -- Fundamental investigations of initial 
     disturbance fields and their receptivity into the boundary layer at 
     low and high speeds. 
 
  o  Composite Structures and Materials -- Fundamental investigations of 
     advanced high-temperature composites, adhesives and sealants. 
 
  o  Chemically Reacting Flows -- Fundamental investigations of chemical 
     kinetic reaction mechanisms, turbulence closure for reacting flows 
     and computational modeling. 
 
  o  Thermal Protection System Materials -- Fundamental investigations of 
     the catalytic efficiency and overall performance of heat shield 
     materials. 
 
  o  Environmental Concerns in Aviation -- Research on the effects of 
     engine emissions on the atmosphere, in particular, the ozone layer; 
     generation, propagation and prediction of acoustic waves, including 
     sonic boom. 

  o  Hypersonic Technologies -- Fundamental investigations of the 
     controlling physical phenomena of hypersonic flight. 
 
  o  Experimental Test Facilities -- Use of ground and flight test 
     facilities and test techniques for research on advanced aeronautical 
     technologies. 
 
  o  Advanced Aerospace Materials -- Investigation of the properties of 
     new materials for use in aerospace programs. 
 
NASA and GOSKOMOBORONPROM will establish a Joint Working Group On 
Aeronautical Sciences to manage the new cooperative activities. 

From:	US1RMC::"[email protected]" "MAIL-11 Daemon" 16-DEC-1993 
To:	[email protected]
CC:	
Subj:	HQ 93-222/US-RUSSIA HUMAN COOPERATION

Debra J. Rahn
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.		 December 16, 1993
(Phone:  202/358-1639)

RELEASE: 93-222

NASA AND RUSSIAN SPACE AGENCY SIGN AGREEMENT FOR ADDITIONAL SPACE 
SHUTTLE/MIR MISSIONS 
 
NASA and the Russian Space Agency (RSA) have agreed to up to 10 Shuttle 
flights to Mir with a total of 24 months time onboard Mir for U.S. 
astronauts, a program of scientific and technological research, and the 
upgrade and extension of the Mir lifetime during the period 1995-1997.  
This is the first of a three-phase program in human spaceflight 
cooperation which may culminate in the construction of an international 
Space Station. 
  
NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin and RSA Director General Yuri Koptev 
signed this protocol today in Moscow, expanding the terms of the 1992 
Human Space Flight Cooperation agreement. 
 
"This is a very significant step in expanding our human spaceflight 
cooperation with our Russian friends," Goldin said.  "These activities 
will provide valuable experience for the construction and operation of 
the international space station." 

The following is a summary of cooperative activities outlined in this 
protocol: 

o  An additional Russian cosmonaut flight on Space Shuttle mission STS-63 
   scheduled for launch in 1995.  Colonel Vladimir G. Titov, the back-up 
   cosmonaut currently in training at NASA's Johnson Space Center for the 
   January 1994 flight (STS-60), will be the primary cosmonaut for the 
   STS-63 flight.  Sergei K. Krikalev, the STS-60 primary cosmonaut, will 
   act as the back-up.  During the STS-63 mission, the Space Shuttle will 
   perform a rendezvous with the Mir-1 Space Station and will approach to 
   a safe distance. 

o  The Space Shuttle will rendezvous and dock with the Mir-1 in October-
   November 1995, and the Shuttle crew may include Russian cosmonauts.  
   Mir-1 equipment, including power supply and life support system 
   elements, also will be carried.  The crew will return on the same 
   Space Shuttle mission.  This mission will include activities on Mir-1 
   and possible extravehicular activities to upgrade solar arrays. 

o  NASA-designated astronauts will fly on the Mir-1 space station for an 
   additional 21 months for a total of 2 years.  This will include at 
   least four astronaut flights. 
 
o  The Space Shuttle will dock with Mir-1 up to ten times.  The Shuttle 
   flights will be used for crew exchange, technological experiments, 
   logistics and sample return.  Some of those flights will be dedicated 
   to resources and equipment necessary for life extension of Mir-1.  
 
o  A specific program of technological and scientific research, including 
   the utilization of the Mir-1 Spektr and Priroda modules equipped with 
   U.S. experiments to undertake a wide-scale research program, will be 
   developed by the Mission Science Joint Working Group.  The activities 
   carried out in this program will expand ongoing research in 
   biotechnology, materials sciences, biomedical sciences, Earth 
   observations and technology. 
 
o  NASA and RSA will initiate in 1993 the joint development of a solar 
   dynamic power system with a test flight on the Space Shuttle and Mir 
   in 1996, the joint development of spacecraft environmental control and 
   life support systems and studies on potential development of a common 
   space suit starting with the compatibility of respective spacesuits. 
 
o  A crew medical support program for the benefit of both sides' crew 
   members, including the development of common standards, requirements, 
   procedures, databases and countermeasures will be initiated.  

Article: 5405
Newsgroups: sci.space.news
From: [email protected] (Steve Derry)
Subject: HQ 94-27 / Cameron -- Star City
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA  USA
Date: Wed, 23 Feb 1994 23:07:42 GMT
 
Ed Campion
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                                                
February 23, 1994
(Phone:  202/358-1778)
 
Debra Rahn
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
(Phone:  202/358-1639)
 
Kyle Herring
Johnson Space Center, Houston
(Phone:  713/483-5111)
 
RELEASE:  94-27
 
CAMERON TO MANAGE NASA ACTIVITIES AT STAR CITY, RUSSIA
 
     As part of the new partnership effort between the United 
States and Russia, NASA today announced that astronaut Kenneth D. 
Cameron (Col., USMC) has been selected to manage NASA operational 
activities at Star City and at the Russian control center at 
Kaliningrad.  
 
     As Director of Operations-Russia, Cameron will work with 
Russian Space Agency engineers and flight controllers on the U.S.-
Russian cooperative program and work to bring about continued and 
enhanced cooperation between NASA and the Russian Space Agency.
 
     Cameron's responsibilities will include supervising NASA 
astronaut training at Star City, developing training syllabus for 
Shuttle crew members for Mir rendezvous missions and coordinating 
training for scientific experimenters; establishing and 
maintaining operations, operational relationships, plans and 
procedures to support flight operations between NASA and the 
Russian Space Agency in joint Shuttle/Mir flights and space 
station development, assembly and operations.
 
     Cameron is expected to command one of the early Space Shuttle 
docking missions to the Russian Mir space station. 
 
     Cameron and fellow astronauts Norman E. Thagard, M.D., and 
Bonnie J. Dunbar, Ph.D., who recently were named as the prime and 
backup crew members for a 3-month flight on the Russian space 
station Mir, will leave the Johnson Space Center, Houston, for 
Star City, today.
 
     Thagard and two cosmonauts will be launched aboard a Russian 
rocket to Mir in March 1995.  Three months later, the crew of 
mission STS-71 will dock Space Shuttle Atlantis to Mir, the first 
of up to 10 Shuttle visits that will be made to the Russian space 
station over the 1995-1997 time frame.  
 
     Cameron has flown twice on the Shuttle.  He was the Pilot on 
Atlantis' STS-37 mission in 1991 to deploy the Compton Gamma Ray 
Observatory.  He served as Commander of Discovery's STS-56 flight 
in 1993 to continue studies of the Earth's atmosphere as part of a 
series of missions called Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications 
and Science.
 
     Cameron received a bachelor of science degree in aeronautics 
and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 
1978 and a master of science degree in the same field from MIT in 
1979.  Cameron was selected to be an astronaut in 1984.  He was 
born in Cleveland.  
 

Article: 5406
Newsgroups: sci.space.news
From: [email protected] (Steve Derry)
Subject: HQ 94-28 / New Teleconference System
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA  USA
Date: Wed, 23 Feb 1994 23:08:11 GMT
 
Dwayne C. Brown
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.					             
February 23, 1994
(Phone: 202/358-0547)
 
Paula Korn
Brown University, Providence, R.I.
(Phone:  401/863-2476)
 
RELEASE:  94-28
 
NASA INSTALLS TELECONFERENCE SYSTEM FOR GATEWAY TO MOSCOW
 
NASA's Office of Space Communications has installed a Video 
Teleconference System (ViTS) facility at Brown University, Providence, 
R.I., to expand video teleconferencing coverage to Russia.   The new 
facility also enables a connection to NASA's Program Support 
Communications Network (PSCN), providing video teleconferencing with 
NASA's field centers, international partners and contractors connected to 
the network. 
 
The installation connects NASA's PSCN with the university's established 
satellite circuit link with Russia. For several years, Brown has had 
video teleconferencing capabilities with the Russian Institute of Space 
Research (IKI) in Moscow, through direct transmissions on the Russian 
Intersputnik satellite.  The linkage accommodates 2-way discussions 
between members of the university's planetary geology group and 
scientists at IKI.  This installation will allow NASA's network also to 
be linked with IKI. 
 
The new ViTS facility will allow NASA scientists and engineers to work 
directly with researchers to collaborate in real time on their projects.  
In addition, the connection between teachers, NASA scientists and 
engineers will provide an unprecedented educational resource for the 
classroom. 
 
Brown University has a long history of support for NASA, through grants 
and contracts, by performing planetary geological research and providing 
access of NASA data from interplanetary spacecraft and probes to 
scientists and the general public.  Brown was an active participant in 
U.S. and Russian planetary missions, including the U.S. Magellan and 
Galileo missions and Russia's Venera and Phobos missions. 
 
The United States has signed agreements with the Russian Government for 
cooperation in space exploration and research.  The recent February Space 
Shuttle Discovery flight demonstrated a first step in a three-phased 
program of U.S./Russian cooperation, with the participation of a Russian 
cosmonaut serving as a crew member.  Phase one entails up to 10 Space 
Shuttle-Mir missions that include rendezvous, docking and crew transfers 
to occur between 1995 and 1997.  Phase two is the joint development of 
the core international space station program.  Phase three is the 
expansion of the space station to include all international partners. 
  
The NASA ViTS is a state-of-the-art network that can link any or all of 
15 NASA sites with high quality video and audio teleconferencing 
capabilities.  The nationwide network has additional gateways to NASA's 
international partners, including the European Space Agency, the Japanese 
Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency and most recently, the Russian 
Space Agency. 
 
The Office of Space Communications is responsible for planning, 
development and operation of worldwide communications, command, 
navigation and control, data acquisition, telemetry and data processing 
essential to the success of NASA programs and activities. 
 

Article: 3997
From: [email protected] (Reuter/Beth Dickey)
Newsgroups: clari.local.florida,clari.tw.space
Subject: Lifestyles Lopsided in U.S., Russian Space Swap
Date: Tue, 26 Apr 94 0:10:07 PDT
 
	 COCOA BEACH, Fla (Reuter) - Living conditions are less than
ideal for two Americans training near Moscow for a flight to the Mir
space station, the chief of NASA's astronaut corps said Monday. 

	 Speaking to the Florida Space Business Roundtable, Robert
''Hoot'' Gibson said Norman Thagard and Bonnie Dunbar are ''having a
little bit of an uphill battle'' to get settled after moving to Russia
in March -- unlike the two cosmonauts who joined the U.S. space
shuttle corps in 1992. 

	 ``I see us making more effort on our side than ... we've seen
out of them,'' Gibson said of the Russian Space Agency. 

	 Russia recently became the only paid partner in a proposed
global space station which the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration hopes to construct beginning in 1997.  The country is
to receive at least $400 million for contributing hardware to the project. 

	 A diplomatic agreement for the historic swap is vague about
the caliber of accommodations for the astronauts, but Gibson said in
an interview with Reuters that the pair expected to be living at least
as comfortably as their cosmonaut colleagues. 

	 In the United States, Sergei Krikalev and Vladimir Titov have
multiple cars and single-family homes which some astronauts regard as
better than their own.  The National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
pays the tab. 

	 Gibson blamed Russia's faltering economy for the fact that
Thagard and Dunbar are living in spartan apartments and finding simple
necessities such as a clothes dryer hard to come by. 

	 Krikalev and Titov were welcomed as full mission specialists,
meaning NASA has granted them more privileges and responsibilities
than those enjoyed by any other foreign shuttle flyers. 

	 According to Gibson, Thagard and Dunbar have not even been
invited to dine with their colleagues in the cosmonauts' cafeteria at
the Star City Training Center.  ``They are not being treated as
members of the Russian astronaut corps,'' he told Reuters. 

	 Thagard, a medical doctor, is the prime candidate for a
three-month stint next year aboard Mir. Dunbar, a physicist, is the
alternate. 

	 Cosmonaut Krikalev initiated the swap when he flew aboard the
shuttle Discovery in January.  Titov is scheduled for his own shuttle
flight early next year. 

Article: 2477
From: [email protected] (jennifer green)
Newsgroups: sci.space.policy
Subject: Re: Jim Oberg's SKIF/Polyus bashing...
Date: 2 Jun 1994 20:45:34 GMT
Organization: Clark Internet Services, Inc., Ellicott City, MD USA
 
 Marcus Lindroos INF ([email protected]) wrote:

:     I was wondering about the Russian "space tug" that James Oberg has been
: criticizing here for some time... It only flew once seven years ago, when
: it sent a heavy Energia "Star Wars" payload into the ocean because of
: a malfunction. Have the problems been rectified? How much propellant will
: the "tug" carry BTW (it is obviously based on the Salyut/Almaz)?
 
--
The Russian "space tug" that NASA is using on the Space Station is a
derivative of the scientific modules Kvant-2, Spectr, Crystal, and
Priroda on Mir (2 of which are currently flying). The modules are
derived from the Heavy Kosmos vehicles and from the military Salyuts
(2,3, and 5). All of the vehicles come out of the Salyut design bureau
(now Khrunichev). The base of the vehicles is called the Funktsionalno
Gruzovoy Blok or FGB. Lockheed is purchasing three FGB's for Station
and the first Station flight is the delivery of one of these vehicles.
The initial vehicle can hold up to 8 tons of UDMH prop. After the
Russian Service Module is delivered (nearly identical to the current
Mir core), the FGB is used as a propellant depot and backup system. 
 
I am trying to get one of the Salyut designers access to the internet.
Hopefully when I do, Jim Oberg can reassert his criticism, and the
Russians will have a chance to respond. 
 
******************************************************************
* Jennifer Green       |"There is no more fatal blunderer than   *
* [email protected]    | he who consumes the greater part of his *
*                      | life getting his living" - Thoreau      *
******************************************************************

Article: 2490
From: [email protected] (jennifer green)
Newsgroups: sci.space.policy
Subject: US/Russian Space WWW Sever
Date: 3 Jun 1994 14:49:46 GMT
Organization: Clark Internet Services, Inc., Ellicott City, MD USA
 
This is the first announcement of the first draft of my WWW Server
dealing with US/Russian cooperation in space. The server is a work in
progress and is part of the "Friends and Partners" project whose goal
is to provide better understanding between the US and Russia in lots
of different areas. Although the largest emphasis is on US/Russian
cooperation, other nations' space programs will eventually be included. 
 
Right now the server is more of a strawman than a finished product, but 
if you'd like to help develop it please write me at [email protected]
 
The URL is http://solar.rtd.utk.edu/~jgreen/fpspace.html.
 
Thanks!
 
--
******************************************************************
* Jennifer Green       |"There is no more fatal blunderer than   *
* [email protected]    | he who consumes the greater part of his *
*                      | life getting his living" - Thoreau      *
******************************************************************

Article: 2528
From: [email protected] (David Anderman)
Newsgroups: sci.space.policy
Subject: Re: Jim Oberg's SKIF/Poly
Date: Sun,  5 Jun 1994 17:33:00 GMT
Organization: Digital Circus BBS (619) 223-5348
 
 -=> Quoting Marcus Lindroos Inf to All <=-
 
 MLI> I was wondering about the Russian "space tug" that James Oberg has
 MLI> been criticizing here for some time... It only flew once seven years
 MLI> ago, when it sent a heavy Energia "Star Wars" payload into the ocean
 MLI> because of a malfunction. Have the problems been rectified? How much
 MLI> propellant will the "tug" carry BTW (it is obviously based on the
 MLI> Salyut/Almaz)? -!-
 
The "FBG" tug that will serve as the initial logistics module for
Space Station Alpha (pending lots of congressional wars) has been
in service in many incarnations since the late 1970's. The first
FGB (this spacecraft has *got* to get a better name or acronym)
was Cosmos 929, a test of the tug's ability to maneuver in space
over long periods of time.
 
Since Cosmos 929, versions of the tug have flown in solo missions,
as propulsion modules for other spacecraft, and as add-ons for
Salyut 7 and Mir.
 
The Polybus that Mr. Oberg refers to was a large experimental module
that served as the payload of the first Energiya launch. Apparently,
the propulsion module of Polybus, which Mr. Oberg claims to be an
FBG tug, malfunctioned, firing its engines 180 degrees off course,
sending the whole payload into the drink, rather than into orbit.
Other sources claim that the Polybus propulsion system was based
on the Buran OMS engines, and that Polybus was simply a 100 ton
mockup of a shuttle, minus the wings and other goodies, that served
as an orbital shuttle fit check and software test of shuttle sub-systems.
 
I don't know exactly what Polybus was, but even if it were powered
by an FGB, the failure lay in avionics, and I suspect that the
Polybus avionics were very different from the normal FBG avionics,
which have been flighted test repeatedly over the last 15 years.
 
Of course, if Space Station Alpha's FBG tug malfunctions upon
orbital insertion, I will deny making this post.
 
.... Open mouth, insert foot, echo internationally.
___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12

Article: 2551
From: [email protected] (JamesOberg)
Newsgroups: sci.space.policy
Subject: Re: NASA's "Russian Experts"
Date: 6 Jun 1994 22:39:02 -0400
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
Sender: [email protected]
 
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] (Pat)
writes:  <<

 You'd make yourself seem a lot more reasonable if you'd
 keep your complaints to more reasonable areas.  >>
 
Well, OK. In fact, I do have problems with the "Salyut FGB Tug" and
have just had a paper accepted at the IAF in Jerusalem this Sept, so
I'll concentrate there.
 
But you know, if they can't get the EASY things right.... cheeez.
 
Anyhow, the advice was well offered and well accepted.
 
Article: 2553
From: [email protected] (JamesOberg)
Newsgroups: sci.space.policy
Subject: Re: Jim Oberg's SKIF/Polyus bashing...
Date: 6 Jun 1994 22:53:03 -0400
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
Sender: [email protected]
 
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
(jennifer green) writes:
<<  I am trying to get one of the Salyut designers access to the
internet. Hopefully when I do, Jim Oberg can reassert his criticism,
and the Russians will have a chance to respond.>> 
 
Great news!
 
Not to get obsessive on a point, but the issue with me is less the
1987 failure, which I can believe has been understood and corrected,
but the persistent NASA misrepresentation of that event as never
having happened. EG, Cremins letter to Washington Times, or the
internal NASA reference document on Mir data.
 
Which is worse: NASA's "experts" don't KNOW about the failure, or
they DO know, and are twisting the truth in public? Or is there a
third option, not so damning??
 
My paper on the 'official' treatment of that event has been accepted
at  the International Astronautical Federation conclave in Jerusalem
this fall, but I can't go, so I'm seeking a co-author to deliver it,
who'll be there for other business -- and isn't afraid of pissing off NASA.

Article: 2554
From: [email protected] (JamesOberg)
Newsgroups: sci.space.policy
Subject: Re: Jim Oberg's SKIF/Poly
Date: 6 Jun 1994 22:57:07 -0400
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
Sender: [email protected]
 
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] (David Anderman) writes:
 
<<   Apparently,
the propulsion module of Polybus, which Mr. Oberg claims to be an
FBG tug, malfunctioned, firing its engines 180 degrees off course,
sending the whole payload into the drink, rather than into orbit.
Other sources claim that the Polybus propulsion system was based
on the Buran OMS engines, and that Polybus was simply a 100 ton
mockup of a shuttle, minus the wings and other goodies, that served
as an orbital shuttle fit check and software test of shuttle sub-systems>>
 
Did I write "Polybus"? It's POL-YUS, Russ for 'pole'.
 
Not a matter of 'claims', it's a matter of documentation, and the fact
that lots of people seem willing to make wild guesses without seeing any. 
 
Well, maybe we'll follow up on this. 
 
As I said elsewhere, it's not the failure that bothers me (it probably
was understood and fixed), it's the persistent NASA denial of it. Do
they just not KNOW, or are they in 'happy talk' mode?? 

Article: 2555
From: [email protected] (JamesOberg)
Newsgroups: sci.space.policy
Subject: Re: An Open Letter to James Oberg.
Date: 6 Jun 1994 22:58:10 -0400
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
Sender: [email protected]
 
All I want is for people to tell the truth, and for 'experts' to know
what they are talking about. Not too much to ask?
 
Jim O
 
Article: 2558
From: [email protected] (Dave McKissock)
Newsgroups: sci.space.policy
Subject: Re: Jim Oberg's SKIF/Polyus bashing...
Date: 7 Jun 1994 13:09:24 GMT
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
 
In <[email protected]>, [email protected] (JamesOberg) writes:

>Not to get obsessive on a point, but the issue with me is less the
>1987 failure, which I can believe has been understood and corrected,
>but the persistent NASA misrepresentation of that event as never
>having happened. EG, Cremins letter to Washington Times, or the
>internal NASA reference document on Mir data.
>
>Which is worse: NASA's "experts" don't KNOW about the failure, or
>they DO know, and are twisting the truth in public? Or is there a
>third option, not so damning??
 
First, a word on Cremins. When I was at HQ last year, Tom Cremins
worked for the Deputy Associate Administrator for Russian Affairs, in
the Office of Space Flight. FYI, the Deputy AA was Guy Gardner (the
former astronaut). Although the title of the organization was pretty
fancy, his group was basically responsible for the joint US/Russian
Shuttle/Mir activities (which at the time involved two Shuttle
flights, one a rendezovus and the other a docking). 
 
When HQ began looking at possible Russian involvement in Space
Station, we looked around NASA for "experts" on Russian systems, and
didn't find very much. The people in Guy's group (including Tom) knew
a lot about what it's like to work with the Russians, and a little
about Mir, but that was it. Also, MSFC had been having discussions
with the Russians about their environmental control system on Mir, and
JSC had been working with the Russians for some time on use of the
Soyuz as a crew escape vehicle for Freedom. 
 
But for other Mir systems, like power, data, thermal, we had
little-to-no information. 
 
So, we embarked on a vast data-collection activity. This included
actitivies like purchasing Newkirk's book "Almanac of Soviet Manned
Space Flight" at the Air & Space Museum, obtaining copies of papers
published on Russian hardware, reviewing all Aviation Weeks since Mir
was launched, same with Spaceflight, visiting the University of
Maryland library to pour through JPRS, talking with Payload Systems,
Inc (I think that's the right name, the only US company at that time
who had flown a payload on Mir). 
 
Since these initial activities, we have been able to improve our
understanding of Russians systems by having direct talks with the
Russians, including the exchange of technical information, and each
party visiting the other's test facilities. 
 
Returning to your comments about Tom Cremins, Tom is currently working
for the Station program office at JSC, and is helping negotiate the
Contract NASA will have with the Russians. Does Tom know all there is
to know about all Russian systems? Of course not, Tom is intelligent
but he is no Commander Data. 
 
You seem to indicate an internal NASA document on Mir contains a
"misrepresentation" of the 1987 failure. Join the club! One of the
difficulties in working with the Russians has been the
inconsistent/confusing information we often receive. For example, my
area of expertise is in space power. When the Mission Operations
Directorate at JSC published "A Russian Space Station: The Mir
Complex" in Feb 1994, I quickly flipped to the power system section to
see if JSC had obtained any new data. I quickly found the document to
be in error - it states "most" solar array's on Mir are GaAs, and a
picture of Mir has the all the array's (the 3 wings on the core
module, 2 wings on Kvant-2, and 2 wings on Kristall) labelled as GaAs.
At a symposium in July 1993 in Reston, Dr. Khorunov, head of power at
NPO, presented a paper titled "Orbital Station 'Mir' Power Supply
System." In his paper, Khorunov presents a table listing the material
as Silicon for the Kvant-2 and Kristall array's, and GaAs as the
material for the two array's launched with the core module. I believe
Khorunov knows what's he's talking about - he was the power person I
negotiated with for the Alpha US/Russian power interface, and the
person LeRC is currently dealing with on the joint US/Russian solar
array for Mir currently being manufactured. 
 
For the JSC document, they apparently used an old source, which
identified the array's as GaAs. So yes, there is still some confusion
within NASA over the details on Russian systems. I don't think this
should be too suprising - in a very short time Russian went from zero
involvement in Freedom to playing a major role in Alpha, and both
parties are still learning about each other. 
 
<<<<<<<<<<<<<< NASA Lewis Research Center >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Dave McKissock
Aerospace Engineer
[email protected]