快猫短视频

Washington DC

RUSSIA has finally has coughed up some of its share of the money for the
International Space Station. But Moscow鈥檚 tardiness will still delay the start
of scientific research on the station.

Representatives of the various national space agencies collaborating on the
project approved a new construction schedule for the station last week. There
were fears that the launch of the first portion of the station would be delayed
until October 1998, but following assurances from Russia the first launch is to
take place in June next year.

The delays affect the station鈥檚 service module, which is being built by the
Russian company Khrunichev Industries to provide living space for astronauts,
and a rocket system to keep the station from falling into the atmosphere.

According to Randy Brinkley, NASA鈥檚 space station project manager, the new
schedule means that large-scale scientific research will begin in September
2001, seven months later than planned, once a space shuttle delivers several
racks of scientific equipment to the station.

Brinkley says that NASA will try to compensate by conducting micrograviy
experiments aboard two shuttle flights. This cuts little ice with Martin
Glicksman, a materials scientist at the Rensselaer Polytechnic in Troy, New
York, who follows NASA鈥檚 microgravity research programme for the National
Academy of Sciences. 鈥淚t isn鈥檛 much,鈥� he says.

Even if the service module suffers no more delays, Russia鈥檚 shortage of cash
may affect science on the station in another way. From next year, Russia is
supposed to finance construction of three research modules to be attached to the
space station in orbit, and Brinkley admits he has no guarantee that these
modules will be completed on time. 鈥淚鈥檓 just trying to get through 1997,鈥� he
says.