DATE=11/20/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-241943
TITLE=SPACE LAUNCH  (L-UPDATE)
BYLINE=PETER HEINLEIN
DATELINE=BAIKONUR
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  THE FIRST MODULE OF THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION IS 
PERFORMING FLAWLESSLY SO FAR IN EARTH ORBIT, HERALDING THE DAWN 
OF A NEW ERA IN SPACE EXPLORATION.  V-O-A'S PETER HEINLEIN 
WATCHED THE LAUNCH AT THE BAIKONUR COSMODROME -- THE LAUNCH SITE 
IN KAZAKHSTAN.

TEXT:  AS A CHILL WIND WHIPPED ACROSS THE BARREN CENTRAL ASIAN 
DESERT FRIDAY, THE 24-TON POWER AND PROPULSION UNIT KNOWN AS 
"ZARYA" -- OR "SUNRISE" -- SLOWLY LIFTED OFF INTO AN OVERCAST 
SKY.  WITHIN SECONDS, THE RUSSIAN PROTON ROCKET AND ITS PAYLOAD 
WERE OBSCURED FROM VIEW BY THE CLOUD COVER.  A FEW MINUTES LATER,
A CHEER WENT UP WHEN IT WAS ANNOUNCED THE MODULE HAD SUCCESSFULLY
SEPARATED FROM THE THIRD STAGE OF THE BOOSTER ROCKET AND WAS 
FUNCTIONING ON ITS OWN.  

ANOTHER CRITICAL ELEMENT CAME A FEW MOMENTS LATER WHEN THE SOLAR 
PANELS DEPLOYED, INSURING "ZARYA" WILL BE ABLE TO STAY ALIVE ON 
ITS OWN (I.E. BE ABLE TO OBTAIN ELECTRIC POWER).

AT A POST-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE, THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE U-S 
SPACE AGENCY NASA -- DANIEL GOLDIN -- HAILED THE LAUNCH AS A 
GREAT SUCCESS FOR RUSSIA'S STRUGGLING SPACE PROGRAM.  HIS 
COUNTERPART AT THE RUSSIAN SPACE AGENCY -- DIRECTOR YURI KOPTEV 
-- SAID ZARYA'S SMOOTH LAUNCH AND FLAWLESS PERFORMANCE MAKE IT 
CLEAR THAT RUSSIA -- DESPITE ITS CURRENT FINANCIAL TURMOIL -- IS 
FULLY PREPARED TO MEET ALL ITS INTERNATIONAL SPACE COMMITMENTS. 

                  // KOPTEV ACT [IN RUSSIAN] //

         I HOPE YOU HAVE SEEN THE RUSSIAN SPACE EFFORT IS ALIVE 
         AND WELL AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE SO, SO WE ARE PERFECTLY
         ABLE TO MEET ALL OUR COMMITMENTS IN THAT DEPARTMENT.

                          // END ACT //

CURRENT PLANS CALL FOR RUSSIA TO CLOSE DOWN ITS MIR SPACE STATION
TO CONCENTRATE ITS SCARCE RESOURCES ON THE INTERNATIONAL STATION.
MIR COSTS RUSSIA ABOUT 250 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR AT A TIME WHEN 
THE COUNTRY HAS BEEN UNABLE TO PAY WORKERS AND HAS DEFAULTED ON 
INTERNATIONAL LOANS.

BUT IN THE AFTERGLOW OF THE "ZARYA" SUCCESS, MR. KOPTEV SUGGESTED
A PLAN BY WHICH RUSSIA MIGHT TRY TO FIND OUTSIDE INVESTORS 
WILLING TO KEEP MIR -- THE PRIDE OF ITS SPACE PROGRAM -- IN ORBIT
FOR A FEW MORE YEARS.

ASKED ABOUT THE IDEA, NASA ADMINISTRATOR GOLDIN PRAISED THE MIR 
ORBITER AS THE LONGEST TRAVELLING VESSEL AND THE ONE WITH THE 
HIGHEST RELIABILITY RATE IN THE HISTORY OF THE PLANET.  BUT HE 
CAUTIONED RUSSIA THAT THE INTERNATIONAL STATION MUST BE ITS FIRST
PRIORITY.

                        // GOLDIN ACT //

         AS FAR AS NASA IS CONCERNED, THE MIR STATION IS A 
         DECISION FOR THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT.  BUT I WANT TO SAY 
         ONCE AGAIN WE HAVE AN INTERNATIONAL COMMITMENT TO THE 
         INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION AND WE EXPECT THE RUSSIAN 
         GOVERNMENT TO LIVE UP TO ITS COMMITMENT.

                          // END ACT //

MR. GOLDIN TOLD REPORTERS THAT WITH THE SUCCESS OF THE U-S OWNED,
RUSSIAN-BUILT "ZARYA," 44 MORE LAUNCHES ARE SCHEDULED BEFORE THE 
STATION REACHES ITS FULL SIZE IN THE YEAR 2004.

THE NEXT LAUNCH COMES IN JUST TWO WEEKS WHEN THE U-S SPACE 
SHUTTLE "ENDEAVOUR" TAKES OFF FOR A RENDEZVOUS WITH "ZARYA" TO 
CONNECT A U-S-MADE MODULE CALLED "UNITY."  THE SHUTTLE CREW WILL 
ATTACH THE TWO MODULES DURING A SERIES OF THREE SPACE WALKS.

16 NATIONS ARE INVOLVED IN THE 60-BILLION DOLLAR SPACE STATION 
PROJECT.  THE SCHEDULE CALLS FOR THE STATION TO RECEIVE ITS FIRST
FULL-TIME CREW BY JANUARY 2000 AFTER ATTACHMENT OF A 
RUSSIAN-BUILT SERVICE MODULE THAT IS SERVE AS HOME FOR THE 
STATION'S RESIDENTS.  

WHEN COMPLETE, THE MASSIVE STATION WILL WEIGH NEARLY 500 TONS (IF
WEIGHED ON EARTH) AND IS EXPECTED TO SERVE AS BASE FOR ASTRONAUTS
AND COSMONAUTS FOR THE NEXT 15 TO 20 YEARS.  EXPERTS SAY, AS MORE
MODULES ARE ADDED, IT WILL BECOME ONE OF THE BRIGHTEST OBJECTS 
VISIBLE FROM EARTH IN THE NIGHT SKY.  (SIGNED)

NEB/PH/DWJ/GE

20-Nov-98 7:23 AM EST (1223 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.