DATE=11/10/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-241461
TITLE=RUSSIA SPACE  (L ONLY)
BYLINE=PETER HEINLEIN
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  RUSSIA'S SPACE AGENCY HAS WITHDRAWN A LAST MINUTE 
PROPOSAL THAT WOULD HAVE DELAYED THE LAUNCH OF THE FIRST PART OF 
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.  V-O-A CORRESPONDENT PETER 
HEINLEIN IN MOSCOW REPORTS THE MODULE'S LAUNCH IS STILL ON 
SCHEDULE FOR NOVEMBER 20TH.

TEXT:  RUSSIA'S TOP SPACE OFFICIALS MADE A TOUGH DECISION 
TUESDAY. THEY AGREED ONCE AND FOR ALL TO BREAK THEIR 12-YEAR 
ATTACHMENT TO THE MIR ORBITER, THE PRIDE OF THE RUSSIAN SPACE 
PROGRAM. INSTEAD, THEY WILL FOCUS ALL THEIR RESOURCES ON THE NEW 
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. 

WITH LESS THAN TWO WEEKS TO GO BEFORE THE LAUNCH OF "ZARYA", THE 
FIRST MODULE OF THE NEW STATION, THE AGENCY CAME UP WITH A 
LAST-MINUTE PROPOSAL TO MODIFY "ZARYA'S" ORBIT TO PUT IT ON A 
PATH CLOSER TO MIR. 

THE ADJUSTMENT WOULD HAVE REQUIRED A SLIGHT DELAY IN THE LAUNCH 
OF THE "ZARYA" MODULE, AND FORCED CHANGES IN A SERIES OF LATER 
LAUNCHES.  BUT IT WOULD HAVE ENABLED RUSSIAN COSMONAUTS TO MORE 
EASILY MOVE EQUIPMENT BETWEEN THE OUTPOSTS, AND POSSIBLY 
PROLONGED MIR'S LIFE. 

THE AGING ORBITER WAS PLAGUED BY A SERIES OF MISHAPS AND  
MALFUNCTIONS LAST YEAR, CAUSING MANY TO QUESTION ITS SAFETY.  BUT
SPACE AGENCY SPOKESMAN KONSTANTIN KHREIDENKO SAYS MOST RUSSIAN 
EXPERTS BELIEVE MIR STILL HAS MANY GOOD YEARS LEFT.

       ///  KHREIDENKO ACT - IN RUSSIAN - ,FADE UNDER  ///

HE SAYS "COMPETENT COMMISSIONS HAVE CONCLUDED MIR COULD BE USED 
WITHOUT ANY DANGER TO THE LIVES OF COSMONAUTS UNTIL 2005."  HE 
CALLED THE SCIENTIFIC EQUIPMENT ON BOARD "UNIQUE".  

U-S SPACE OFFICIALS HAD EXPRESSED SURPRISE AT THE SUGGESTION TO 
ADJUST THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION'S ORBIT.  THEY WERE QUOTED
THIS WEEK AS SAYING THERE IS  NO  PLAN TO USE TRANSPLANTED MIR 
EQUIPMENT ON THE INTERNATIONAL STATION.

BUT RUSSIA'S ATTACHMENT TO MIR IS AS MUCH SENTIMENTAL AS 
PRACTICAL.  AT A TIME WHEN THE COUNTRY'S REPUTATION IN MANY 
FIELDS HAS SUFFERED, ACHIEVEMENTS IN SPACE ARE A SOURCE OF 
NATIONAL PRIDE.

SPOKESMAN KHREIDENKO SAYS IN THE END, THE DECISION TO FOCUS 
COMPLETELY ON THE NEW INTERNATIONAL STATION WAS FORCED BY TWO 
FACTORS: TIME, AND ECONOMIC NECESSITY.

     ///  2ND KHREIDENKO ACT - IN RUSSIAN - FADE UNDER  ///

HE SAYS, "OUR DIRECTORS DETERMINED THAT IF WE KEEP GOING THE WAY 
WE ARE NOW, WE WILL  NOT  HAVE ENOUGH MONEY FOR TWO PROGRAMS, SO 
WE DECIDED TO FULFILL OUR INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS.

THE DECISION MEANS RUSSIA WILL RELUCTANTLY GO AHEAD WITH ITS PLAN
TO SHUT DOWN MIR AND SEND IT ON A FIERY PLUNGE THROUGH THE 
ATMOSPHERE INTO THE PACIFIC OCEAN, PROBABLY ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF 
NEXT YEAR.  (SIGNED)

NEB/PFH/JWH

10-Nov-98 1:01 PM EST (1801 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.