Published: 7/24/1998

Five missions are to be launched to Russia's orbiting station Mir, to adjust its orbit to prevent it descending into the atmosphere in June/July, 1999. Two of the missions will be sent this year, president of the Energiya aerospace corporation, Yuri Semyonov said. Semyonov noted that the Mir will be manned almost until the retirement of the station and that both Russian cosmonauts and Slovac and French representatives will have an opportunity to work there. "Technical issues concerning the completion of Mir's use have been fully settled," he said, when commenting on a meeting between aerospace leaders with Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov. As regards Mir's funding, which prompted the issue of Mir's early de-commissioning, "hope has emerged that this problem will be resolved," the Energiya director said, adding that the government promised to pay budget debts to the industry. "In addition, the government has been ordered to raise 600 million roubles from extra-budgetary sources", such as the sale of satellite channels and privatisation of companies, Semyonov said. (AS798.2) (VZ)

Article ID: 226