International Space Station Program Initiated   (4/94)

This document is taken from the Spring 1994 issue of Educational Horizons.  To
access the entire document, use the GOTO feature and enter EDUCATIONAL HORIZONS
as the keyword. 

On December 6, 1993, the participating Nations in the Space Station
Program--the United States, Canada, Japan and nine members of the European
Space Agency--agreed to invite Russia to join the International Space Station.
Vice President Gore and Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin confirmed
the historic joining of the U.S. and the Russian human space programs during a
joint commission meeting in Moscow on December 16.

The International Space Station will be a multi-functional orbiting laboratory
used for scientific and technology research in the unique microgravity
environment of Space.

On-orbit construction of the facility will begin in 1997 and will use the
launch capabilities of both the United States and Russia. A U.S. laboratory
module will be operational after the fourth U.S. assembly flight.  U.S.
launches will continue to add Japanese and European laboratory modules, a
Canadian-built robotic arm and a habitation module.  Russia will fly a "space
tug," a science module, a power platform and a number of research modules.

3-Phase Program

The United States and Russia will embark on a three-phase program of human
space flight, beginning with use of the U.S. Space Shuttle and Russian Mir
Space Station and followed by Russian involvement as a partner in the
international cooperative Space Station program.

On October 5, 1992, NASA and the Russian Space Agency (RSA) concluded the
Implementing Agreement on Human Space Flight Cooperation, a program which began
with the training of Russian cosmonauts for a flight on the Space Shuttle in
January 1994.  A protocol was signed by NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin and
RSA Director General Yuri Koptev on December 16 at the U.S./Russian Joint
Commission meeting in Moscow, expanding the terms of this agreement to include
up to 10 Shuttle flights to Mir, a total of 24 months time onboard Mir for U.S.
astronauts, a program of scientific and technological research, and the upgrade
and extension of the Mir lifetime from 1995-1997.

Phase One will provide valuable experience and test data to greatly reduce
technical risks associated with the construction and operation of the
International Space Station., as well as early opportunities for extended
scientific and research activities.

The first step to implement this multiphase approach began when Sergei K.
Krikalev became the first Russian cosmonaut to fly on the Space Shuttle during
the STS-60 mission in early February 1994.  Col. Vladimir G. Titov, the backup
cosmonaut for STS-60, will fly on the STS-63 mission currently scheduled for
launch in January 1995.

Phase two will combine U.S. and Russian components to create a human-tended
orbital research facility.  This facility will significantly expand and enlarge
the scientific and research activities initiated in Phase 1 and will form the
core around which the International Space Station will be constructed.  Russian
involvement will permit earlier Station operations than otherwise possible.

Phase Three completes the construction of the International Space Station,
which will have a permanent human presence and full operational and research
capability.  The Station will have an operational lifetime of approximately 10
years.  Phase Three will incorporate the technologies and capabilities tested
and developed in Phases One and Two and will significantly expand the science
and research activities pf these phases.

Russian Interim Agreement

The Space Station partners have charged NASA to enter into an interim agreement
with Russia to enable immediate Russian involvement in the technical activities
of the program, while negotiations proceed at both the Government and agency
levels for Russia to become a full partner on Space Station..

On December 16, NASA and RSA also signed a contract for up to $100 million per
year during the period 1994-1997 for NASA procurement from the RSA of supplies
and services associated with Phase One and selected elements of Phase Two of
the human space flight program.  These include preparations for the Shuttle
missions to Mir and use of the Spektr and Priroda scientific modules on board
Mir.

Also covered are joint technology developments in such areas as solar dynamics,
environmentally-controlled life support systems and space suits.  The contract
also calls for work on Phase Two activities such as modifications to the
Russian Energy Block and the Mir service module, which will be part of the
International Space Station. The contract funds continued design work on
Soyuz-TM to support its planned use as an Assured Crew Return Vehicle on board
the International Space Station.

Memorandum of Understanding

NASA and the Russian State Committee for the Defense Branches of Industry
(GOSKOMOBORONPROM) signed a memorandum of understanding on December 16 in
Moscow to cooperate in eight areas in fundamental aeronautical science.  The
agreement was signed by NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin and
GOSKOMOBORONPROM Chairman Viktor K. Glukhikh.

This agreement initiates a new era of cooperation with Russia in Aeronautics
and implements decisions reached during the first Gore/Chernomyrdin joint
commission meeting held in Washington, D.C. in September 1993.  It established
a NASA/HOSKOMOBORONPROM Joint Working Group to manage the overall relationship.
The eight program areas are transition and turbulence, composite structures and
materials, chemically reacting flows, thermal protection system materials,
environmental concerns in aviation, hypersonic technologies, experimental test
facilities and advanced aerospace materials.

Boeing, Major Contractor

NASA passed a major milestone in the Space Station Program on February 1 when
agency and contractor officials signed documents that marked the end of the
Space Station Freedom work contracts, thus concentrating responsibility for the
design, development and integration of the program under a single prime
contract with Boeing Defense and Space Systems Group in Seattle.

One of the documents signed modified a letter contract between NASA and Boeing
changing Boeing's scope of work from a transitional contract to a hardware
design and development contract.  A final contract will be signed later this
year.

Boeing was designated as the prime contractor in August 1993 following a
recommendation by the Space Station Redesign Team to strengthen Space Station
integration by realigning the separate hardware development contracts under a
single prime contractor.  As the prime contractor, Boeing will be responsible
for the design, development, physical and analytical integration, and test and
delivery of the Space Station vehicle.  After contract realignment, Boeing will
be responsible for the management of the two major subcontracts with McDonnell
Douglas and Rocketdyne.
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