ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, April 10, 1997 TAG: 9704100040
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: C-5 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
The service module that was to house crews and provide steering capability is not finished.
This year's long-planned construction start on the international space station was postponed Wednesday until late 1998 because Russia can't meet its deadline for a vital segment.
A congressman who didn't want Russia as a partner was quick to say, ``I told you so.''
``I warned the administration that bringing the Russians into the program would force NASA to rob Peter to pay Paul when Russia caused delays and cost increases,'' said Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., chairman of the House Science Committee.
With U.S. funding, Russia built a space tug that will be the first of dozens of station elements to be assembled in orbit. That section is ready to go, as is the second segment built by the United States. But a crucial third element, a service module that was to house crews and provide steering capability, has not been started.
``Delivery of the service module has been delayed from April to December 1998,'' Wilbur Trafton, the NASA associate administrator for space flight, told the House space subcommittee.
Therefore, he said, the first construction flight, scheduled for November, will be no later than October 1998. If Russia can't fly the service module by December 1998, NASA will have substitute equipment ready.
``We didn't know that bringing the Russians into the partnership would have these consequences,'' Trafton said. He said that despite the delay, the space station should be completed and available for human occupancy on schedule in 2002.
The Russian failure comes in the face of intense diplomatic activity, conducted at the highest levels. Vice President Al Gore and Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin have talked face to face about station progress a number of times. As recently as February, Chernomyrdin promised Gore that Russia would give its space agency $100 million by Feb. 28 to work on the module.
NASA stressed the mutual advantage of cooperating with the station-experienced Russians, including five shuttle docking missions with the Mir space station and four Americans getting a long time on board.
``We have been working with the Russians closely in space for three years,'' NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin said. ``There is value added for the American taxpayer through this approach, but remember we never said it was going to be easy.''
Sensenbrenner accused the administration of being prepared to pay any price to keep Russia in the program.
``I would remind them both that we are building the space station to do science and open new commercial frontiers, not to provide foreign aid to the Russian aerospace industry or cash under the table to the Russian government,'' he said.
Trafton said the United States would take $200 million from this year's space shuttle reserves to pay for modifications - adding refueling capabilities to the space tug and modifying a Navy satellite as a temporary stand-in for some service module functions.
That, too, disturbed some of the subcommittee members.
``The people of America are not going to shell out more money because these dunderheads don't do what they are supposed to do,'' said Chairman Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif.
LENGTH: Medium: 69 linesby CNB