Published: 7/24/1998

Anatoly Kiselyev, general director of Khrunichev State Scientific Industrial Space Centre, said on 16 July that the two Russian-built core modules to the International Space Station (ISS) are gradually moving to a state of full readiness for flight. FGB, the Functional Cargo Block, which was fully completed last year, is now on the Baikonur cosmodrome waiting for pre-launch preparations to start in the first weeks of August. It will fly into space atop the Proton launch vehicle on 30 November. In the middle of June, Khrunichev completed assembly of SM, the Service Module, and, after having conducted functional tests, shipped it to RKK (Rocketry Space Corporation) Energia for electrical tests. Currently, the SM is at the RKK Energia site undergoing functional trials, preparing for launch on 20 April 1999. Kiselyev said that although both modules have been assembled and undergone the bulk of tests, some $240m is required from the state budget to cover the Russian state obligations on the ISS assembly schedule. "Khrunichev has fully delivered its obligations on the Service Module despite the insufficient funding from the state budget", he stated. It is known that the manufacturer used its own financial resources and credits of commercial banks to cover the cost of work on the SM. "It is awkward for me to speak on behalf of Russia because the numerous promises of the top state officials, including the President and Prime Minister, on provision of sufficient funding for the International Space Station, have not been fulfilled as of yet," Kiselyev said. Khrunichev's general director pointed out that the financial situation is worsening due to the necessity to spend some Rbs600m (in1998 prices) for "civilised ditching" of the the Mir Space Station, whose service life is expiring. "If the Mir falls chaotically, its debris, weighing from 5 to 100kg, could drop on populated territories", he said, adding that the territory where the debris could fall is as large as 9000-19000km long and 100-400 km wide, and that a 100kg piece falling could penetrate a 2-metre concrete wall. "It is a real danger and, therefore it is mandatory to provide a civilised ditching for the station, by which I mean directing it into a certain area in the ocean", Kiselyev explained. To provide this, one Soyuz crew vehicle and one Progress automatic supply ship should be launched this year, and one Soyuz and three Progresses in the first months of 1999 (see preceding article). Describing the situation at the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan as "extremely difficult", Kiselyev, however, claimed that there is no danger to commercial Proton flights. Khrunichev has installed several compact power generation units on the Launch Site No.95 serving Proton launches, which eliminated the need for power supply from the central electricity line, except for pumping fuel into Proton's tanks before the launch. By the end of this year Khrunichev will install additional power generation units to make the Launch Site absolutely independent.(AS798.6) (VK)

Article ID: 230