Russia Scientists Favor Preservation of Mir Space Station

LD2210130098 Moscow ITAR-TASS in English 1142 GMT 22 Oct 98

[By Nikolay Novichkov]

[FBIS Transcribed Text] MOSCOW, October 22 (Itar-Tass) -- The Space Council of the Russian Academy of Sciences favours preservation of the Mir orbital complex, learned secretary of the Council told Itar-Tass here on Thursday.

According to the general opinion of Russian scholars, the Mir orbital station is a unique technical achievement and a valuable object of space science, especially for the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Academy scholars discussed the state of and prospects for scientific observations and experiments with the use of Mir equipment at a special conference, held by the Space Council.

The secretary said that the final document of the conference contains a conclusion that the scientific equipment of the station has preserved its viability and has a considerable service life. Creation of similar equipment is impossible in the near future due to the difficult financial and economic situation in Russia.

According to international obligations, Russia possesses a third of the volume of a future international space station (ISS). However, the station will be unable to provide research possibilities for Russia, equivalent to the Mir complex, due to absence of equipment at the future station. Therefore, the value of the ISS is very doubtful for Russian researchers from the viewpoint of science.

At the same time, funding of further operation of the Mir orbital complex and maintenance of its buoyancy is made from a budget, appropriated to the Russian Space Agency for all spheres of space explorations.

Alferov noted that expenses for Mir make up considerable sums, while budget funding is equal to naught. As a result, the space agency if forced to cut expenses for spheres of work as unmanned spacecraft and space programmes of scientific importance.

The Space Council deems it expedient to preserve the Mir station in orbit in an active state over the next three-five years. Academy scholars noted at the same time that this should be done not at the expense of redistribution of funds, appropriated for other programmes of the space agency.

They have in mind preservation of funding of scientific projects with the use of unmanned spacecraft, fundamental space explorations and a Russian space programme for the period of up to the year 2000.

[Description of Source: ITAR-TASS -- Main government information agency; its first deputy director is affiliated with Menatep Bank.]

Return to NASA Watch