DATE=11/30/98 TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT NUMBER=5-42008 TITLE=U-S / SPACE STATION LAUNCH PREVIEW BYLINE=DAVID MCALARY DATELINE=WASHINGTON CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: ASSEMBLY OF THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION BEGINS THIS WEEKEND WHEN A RUSSIAN MODULE ALREADY IN ORBIT IS JOINED WITH A U-S COMPARTMENT SCHEDULED FOR LAUNCH ON THURSDAY [12/3, 3:59 A.M. EST] ABOARD THE SPACE SHUTTLE "ENDEAVOUR." AS WE HEAR FROM V-O-A SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT DAVID MCALARY, THE MATING OF THE TWO UNITS WILL REQUIRE A COMPLEX SET OF SPACEWALKS. TEXT: THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS STARTS EARLY SUNDAY [12/6] UNIVERSAL TIME WITH THE LINKING OF THE RUSSIAN MODULE ZARYA LAUNCHED ON NOVEMBER 20TH WITH A U-S SECTION CALLED "UNITY." RUSSIAN COSMONAUT SERGEI KRIKALEV WILL BE ABOARD THE SPACE SHUTTLE WHEN THIS OCCURS. // KRIKALEV ACT // THE MAIN PURPOSE IS TO BRING TWO PIECES TOGETHER WHICH HAVE BEEN BUILT IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. THOSE TWO PIECES WILL BE A KIND OF FOUNDATION FOR THE NEW INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. // END ACT // THE RUSSIAN ZARYA IS ESSENTIALLY AN UNPILOTED SPACE TUGBOAT THAT WILL PROVIDE EARLY PROPULSION, STEERING, AND COMMUNICATION FOR THE STATION'S FIRST MONTS IN ORBIT. UNITY IS A SIX-SIDED CONNECTING PASSAGEWAY WHICH THE NASA MANAGER IN CHARGE OF IT -- BILL BASTEDO [BAS-'TEE-DO] -- SAYS WILL BE THE ATTACHMENT POINT FOR OTHER U-S MODULES TO COME. // BASTEDO ACT // THE MAJOR FUNCTION OF THE UNITY MODULE IS TO PROVIDE A WAY TO CONNECT IN ORBIT PRESSURIZED MODULES TOGETHER. IN THE SCHEME OF THINGS, WE HAVE SEVEN OR EIGHT DIFFERENT MODULES THAT MATE TO UNITY ALONG THE WAY. ITS MAJOR FUNCTION -- ALTHOUGH NOT GLAMOROUS -- IS TO BE THE CORNERSTONE OFF WHICH YOU BUILD OFF FROM. // END ACT // THE PROCESS OF MATING UNITY TO ZARYA BEGINS WHEN THE SHUTTLE "ENDEAVOUR" CLOSES IN ON THE ORBITING RUSSIAN MODULE. ASTRONAUT NANCY CURRIE WILL USE TO SHUTTLE'S ROBOT ARM LIFT THE U-S UNITY MODULE FROM THE CARGO BAY AND LOCK IT ON TO ZARYA. NEXT COMES THE PROCESS OF CONNECTING DATA AND POWER LINES BETWEEN THE TWO COMPARTMENTS. THIS WORK WILL REQUIRE THREE SPACEWALKS OVER FIVE DAYS BY VETERAN U-S ASTRONAUTS JERRY ROSS AND JAMES NEWMAN. THE MANAGER OF THE U-S SPACE AGENCY NASA'S SPACEWALK PROJECTS OFFICE -- ASTRONAUT GREGORY HARBAUGH ['HAR-BAW] -- SAYS THEY ARE THE FIRST OF DOZENS OF SPACEWALKS NECESSARY BETWEEN NOW AND 2004 TO COMPLETE THE ORBITING LABORATORY. // HARBAUGH ACT // THERE IS A TREMENDOUS BODY OF WORK THAT LIES BEFORE US. WE ARE ABOUT TO UNDERTAKE THE EQUIVALENT AMOUNT OF SPACEWALK ACTIVITY AS HAS BEEN DONE IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND. SO IT'S A DAUNTING TASK, BUT WE ARE WELL! PREPARED. WE KNOW HOW TO DO THIS JOB AND WOSKING WIUH OUR RUSSIAO COLLEAGUES, WE ARE EAGER TO GEU UNDERWAY. ! // END ACT // IN THE END, THE COMPLETED SPACE STATION WILL CONSIST OF MORE THAN 100 ELEMENTS CARRIED TO ORBIT BY 45 FLIGHTS OF THE U-S SPACE SHUTTLE AND TWO TYPES OF RUSSIAN ROCKETS. IT WILL HOUSE CREWS OF UP TO SEVEN AT A TIME FOR RESEARCH ON THE EFFECTS OF WEIGHTLESSNESS ON HUMANS, PLANTS, AND MATERIALS. NASA SENIOR SCIENTIST KATHRYN CLARK SAYS THE STATION'S APPEAL IS THAT IT WILL OFFER A SITE FOR CONTINUOUS SPACE RESEARCH, UNLIKE THE SHUTTLE WHICH HAS REMAINED ALOFT ONLY DAYS AT A TIME. // CLARK ACT // THE ACCESS WE'VE HAD TO SPACE HAS BEEN VERY LIMITED AND THE SPACE STATION IS INTENDED TO SOLVE THAT PROBLEM. IMAGINE TAKING ONE OF THE FIOEST CANCER RESEARCH CENTERS ! IO THE UNITED STATES AND TELLING THE SCIENTISTS WHO WORK IN IT THEY CAN HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR LABORATORIES ONLY FOR ABOUT NINE DAYS EVERY TWO YEARS. THE FIELD WOULDN'T PROGRESS VERY FAR. IT'S THE FIRST TIME WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO REALLY SEE WHAT CAN HAPPEN WITH SPACE RESEARCH. EVERYTHING ELSE HAS BEEN JUST A TEASER. // END ACT // ALTHOUGH THE STATION WILL NOT BE FINISHED FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS, THE FIRST RESEARCH WILL BEGIN ON IT BEFORE THAT. EARLY IN THE YEAR 2000, CREWS ARE EXPECTED TO INHABIT AND WORK IN A THIRD MODULE BEING BUILT IN RUSSIA AND TO BE LAUNCHED NEXT JULY. (SIGNED) NEB/DEM/WFR 30-Nov-98 4:56 PM EST (2156 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .