THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release June 17, 1992
JOINT STATEMENT ON
COOPERATION IN SPACE
The United States and the Russian federation have agreed on steps
to broaden cooperation in the use and exploration of outer space:
-- Space Agreement: A new space agreement has been signed
today that puts space cooperation between the two countries
on a new footing, reflecting their new relationship.
- The new agreement provides a broad framework for NASA
and the Russian Space Agency to map out new projects in
a full range of fields: space science, space
exploration, space applications and the use of space
technology.
- Cooperation may include human and robotic space flight
projects, ground-based operations and experiments and
other important activities, such as monitoring the
global environment from space, MIR Space Station and
Space Shuttle missions involving the participation of
U.S. astronauts and Russian cosmonauts, safety of
spaceflight activities, and space biology and medicine.
- Pursuant to the agreement, the two governments will
give consideration to the following:
o flights of Russian cosmonauts aboard a Space
Shuttle mission (STS 60), and U.S. astronauts
aboard the MIR Space Station in 1993; and
o a rendezvous docking mission between the MIR and
the Space Shuttle in 1994 or 1995.
- An important part of the agreement involves annual
subcabinet consultations led at the Under Secretary of
State/Deputy Foreign Minister level, a new mechanism
for high level government review of the bilateral-civil
space relationship between the two countries.
-- Joint Study of Space Technology: The two governments are
also announcing detailed technical studies of the possible
use of space technology.
- NASA is awarding a contract to the Russian firm NPO
Energyia; the principal area being examined is the
Russian Soygz-TM spacecraft as an interim crew return
vehicle for Space Station Freedom.
- Other important areas to be studied are the suitability
of the Russian developed Automated Rendezvous and
Docking System in support of NASA spaceflight
activities, the use of the MIR Space Station for long-
lead time medical experiments, and other applications
by NASA of Russian hardware.
-- Space Commerce: Both governments also agreed on steps to
encourage private companies to expand their search for new
commercial space business.
- The United States has accepted an invitation from the
Russian Federation for American businessmen to visit
Russia. The Department of commerce will lead a
delegation of U.S. aerospace firms to Russia in the
near future on a space technology assessment mission.
- The Russian Federation has accepted an invitation from
the United States to send a delegation of business
leaders to the United States to meet with their
counterparts in the American aerospace private sector.
-- Space Launch: Reflecting its support for economic reform in
Russia, the United States has decided to consider favorably
a decision expected by the INMARSAT organization in July
1992 to launch one of the INMARSAT 3 satellites from
Russia.
- The INMARSAT 3 satellite is manufactured primarily in
the United States. If approved by INMARSAT, this would
mark the first time that a U.S. manufactured commercial
satellite would be launched from Russia.
- The United States and Russia have agreed to negotiate a
bilateral agreement on technology safeguards for the
INMARSAT 3 satellite to enable issuance of a U.S.
export license.
- The United States and the Russian Federation support
the application of market principles to international
competition in the provision of launch services,
including avoidance of unfair trade practices.
- Recognizing Russia's current transition to a market
economy, and in order to allow consideration of future
proposals involving Russian launch of U.S. satellites,
the Russian Federation and the United States have
agreed to enter into international negotiations on an
expeditious basis to develop international guidelines
concerning competition in the launch of commercial
satellites.
- In the case of INMARSAT, the Russian Federation has
also assured the United States that the terms and
conditions of the Russian proposal, including pricing,
are consistent with those that would normally be
offered in the international market.