DATE=11/18/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-41909
TITLE=U-S / RUSSIA / SPACE STATION
BYLINE=DAVID MCALARY
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  THE SPACE STATION ERA DAWNS FRIDAY WITH A DIFFERENT KIND 
OF "SUNRISE" FOR THE RUSSIAN SPACE PROGRAM.  SUNRISE IS THE NAME 
OF THE FIRST ELEMENT OF THE FUTURE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION TO
BE LAUNCHED INTO PERMANENT EARTH ORBIT.  THE MODULE WILL LIFT OFF
[AT 5-HOURS-40 U-T-C] ATOP A RUSSIAN PROTON ROCKET FROM BAIKONUR 
COSMODROME IN KAZAKHSTAN.  SUNRISE -- "ZARYA" IN RUSSIAN -- IS AN
APPROPRIATE NAME FOR THE FIRST STATION UNIT, FOR OFFICIALS OF THE
U-S SPACE AGENCY NASA, WHICH IS LEADING THE INTERNATIONAL PROJECT
TO BUILD THE STATION, ARE HAILING THE MASSIVE PROJECT AS A NEW 
DAY IN THE AGE OF SPACE.  V-O-A SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT DAVID 
MCALARY TELLS US ABOUT ZARYA AND WHAT IS TO FOLLOW.

TEXT:  ZARYA'S LIFT-OFF MARKS THE START OF THE MOST AMBITIOUS 
INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC-WORKS PROGRAM EVER ATTEMPTED.  AFTER DELAYS 
CAUSED BY U-S REDESIGNS AND RUSSIAN FINANCIAL PROBLEMS, THE NEXT 
FIVE YEARS WILL SEE 43 U-S SPACE SHUTTLE AND RUSSIAN ROCKET 
FLIGHTS CARRY MODULES AND OTHER EQUIPMENT FROM 16 NATIONS FOR 
ASSEMBLY OF WHAT WILL BE A 417-THOUSAND-KILOGRAM ORBITING 
RESEARCH LABORATORY ABOUT 35 METERS LONG.

FRANK CULBERTSON IS NASA'S DEPUTY PROGRAM MANAGER FOR SPACE 
STATION OPERATIONS.

                  /// FIRST CULBERTSON ACT ///

         I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE A TREMENDOUS, VERY 
         SIGNIFICANT STEP IN HUMAN HISTORY IN SPACE AS WE MOVE 
         FORWARD WITH THESE UPCOMING LAUNCHES.

                         /// END ACT ///

THE 12-METER-LONG RUSSIAN MODULE ZARYA -- ITSELF WEIGHING 
20-THOUSAND KILOGRAMS -- WILL BE THE FOUNDATION UPON WHICH THE 
REST OF THE STATION WILL BE ASSEMBLED.  THE NASA OFFICIAL 
OVERSEEING ZARYA -- DOUG DREWRY ['DROO-REE] -- SAYS IT WILL SERVE
TWO FUNCTIONS:

                    /// FIRST DREWRY ACT ///

         ONE FUNCTION IS TO SERVE AS THE ATTACH POINT, THE 
         CONNECTING MODULE FOR ALL THE REST OF THE STATION 
         ASSEMBLY.  THE OTHER THING IS:  THIS IS THE CONTROL 
         MODULE.  IT'S THE BRAINS AND THE STRENGTH OF THE EARLY 
         STATION CONFIGURATIONS.

                         /// END ACT ///

// OPT //  IT WILL ALSO BE THE SOURCE OF ENERGY DURING ASSEMBLY. 
SIXTEEN FUEL TANKS ON ZARYA'S EXTERIOR WILL SERVE AS THE 
PROPELLANT SUPPLY DEPOT FOR CONSTRUCTION OPERATIONS.  MR. DREWRY 
SAYS ZARYA IS ALSO OUTFITTED WITH SOLAR WINGS [SOLAR ENERGY 
COLLECTORS] 24 METERS WIDE.

                    /// SECOND DREWRY ACT ///

         WHEN THE ARRAYS ARE FULLY DEPLOYED, BOTH ARRAYS GENERATE
         ABOUT SEVEN-AND-A-HALF KILOWATTS OF POWER.  THAT WILL 
         PROVIDE ALL THE ELECTRICAL NEEDS FOR THE ZARYA MODULE, 
         PLUS IT PROVIDES US ENOUGH POWER TO SUPPLY THE OTHER 
         EARLY STAGES WITH ADDITIONAL POWER.

                /// END ACT ///   /// END OPT ///

DOCKING PORTS ON ZARYA WILL ALLOW A U-S SPACE SHUTTLE CREW TO 
ATTACH THE FIRST U-S NODE -- CALLED UNITY -- TO ONE END DURING 
SPACEWALKS EARLY NEXT MONTH.  ANOTHER RUSSIAN MODULE IS SCHEDULED
FOR MATING WITH THE OTHER END NEXT JULY.

// OPT //  THIS WILL BE THE SERVICE MODULE, WHICH WILL TAKE OVER 
THE CONTROL FUNCTION.  FRANK CULBERTSON SAYS IT WILL ALSO SERVE 
AS HOME FOR THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL CREW TO BEGIN INHABITING THE 
STATION.

                   // SECOND CULBERTSON ACT //

         THE CREW, OF COURSE, WILL BE JOINING THE STATION IN 
         EARLY 2000, IN OPERATING THE STATION THROUGH THE LAB AND
         THE SERVICE MODULE, WITH THE SERVICE MODULE BEING THEIR 
         PRIME LIVING QUARTERS AND, OF COURSE, THEY WILL BE 
         CONDUCTING RESEARCH THERE AS WELL AS CONTINUING THE 
         ASSEMBLY OPERATIONS FOR QUITE A WHILE.

                /// END ACT ///   /// END OPT ///

EVENTUALLY, MORE MODULES, TRUSSES, A MECHANICAL ARM, AND SOLAR 
ARRAYS IN ADDITION TO THOSE ON ZARYA WILL FOLLOW.

MR. CULBERTSON SAYS PUTTING THE SPACE STATION TOGETHER WITH 
RUSSIA AND 14 OTHER NATIONS REQUIRES A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE 
WAY NASA HAS OPERATED.  SINCE 1981, ITS MAIN FOCUS HAS BEEN 
OPERATING THE SPACE SHUTTLE, ON FLIGHTS OF RELATIVELY SHORT 
DURATION.  NOW, IT WILL BE OPERATING WHAT HE CALLS AN ASSEMBLY 
LINE BETWEEN EARTH AND SPACE, TO MAINTAIN A FACILITY THAT WILL 
REMAIN IN CONTINUOUS ORBIT.

                  /// THIRD CULBERTSON ACT ///

         THINGS ARE CONTINUING TO ROLL OUT OF THE PLANTS.  
         THERE'S A LOT OF HARDWARE IN LINE THAT'S GOING TO BE 
         FLOWN BOTH HERE AND IN RUSSIA THAT PEOPLE ARE WORKING ON
         AS WE PREPARE FOR THESE FIRST LAUNCHES.  THAT'S GOING TO
         BE OUR WAY OF LIFE FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS.  PEOPLE ARE 
         GOING TO BE BUILDING, TESTING, CERTIFYING, REVIEWING FOR
         READINESS PIECES OF HARDWARE, AS WE ARE OPERATING THE 
         HARDWARE THAT'S GOING TO BE ON ORBIT.  THAT'S GOING TO 
         BE ONE OF THE BIG CHALLENGES OF THIS PROGRAM -- TO KEEP 
         PEOPLE CLEAR IN THE SEPARATION OF DUTIES, TO BUILD AS 
         WELL AS OPERATE AT THE SAME TIME, AND KEEP TRACK OF 
         WHAT'S GOING ON.

                          // END ACT //

THE FINISHED SPACE STATION WILL HOUSE INTERNATIONAL CREWS OF UP 
TO SEVEN AT A TIME, FOR RESEARCH ON THE EFFECTS OF WEIGHTLESSNESS
ON HUMANS, PLANTS, AND MATERIALS.  THE GOAL IS TO PREPARE FOR THE
SUCCEEDING SPACE ERA, IN WHICH COLONIES ON THE MOON AND 
LONG-DURATION FLIGHTS TO MARS ARE ENVISIONED.   (SIGNED)

NEB/DEM/WTW

18-Nov-98 6:47 PM EST (2347 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.