A RUSSIAN module called Zarya, the first component of the International Space
Station (ISS), is scheduled to shoot into orbit this week from the Baikonur
Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. But NASA officials are bemused by a late request from
the Russian Space Agency to change the station鈥檚 orbit. Although the request was
quickly withdrawn, analysts believe it signals Russia鈥檚 reluctance to abandon
the ageing Mir station, which could compete for resources needed for the
ISS.
The request was for this week鈥檚 launch to be delayed by 10 hours so that the
eventual orbit of the ISS would be in the same plane as that of Mir, allowing
supplies to be moved from one to the other. Just days later, the Russians
changed their minds after talks with NASA officials.
Moscow鈥檚 official plan is to 鈥渄e-orbit鈥� Mir in July, but this is opposed by
many Russian politicians. This month, Mikhail Sinelshchikov, chief of the
Russian Space Agency鈥檚 human spaceflight department, told the Tass news agency
that he wants to extend Mir鈥檚 mission.
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This would cause headaches for the ISS. Russia admits it is unable to deliver
all the rocket launches it has promised for the project. The shortage will get
worse if rockets are used to supply Mir. 鈥淚n our experience, Mir competes for
very critical resources,鈥� says Randy Brinkley, NASA鈥檚 programme manager for the ISS.