Subject: Re: mirnews.449
From: David Fowler <[email-masked]>
To: Multiple recipients of list <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 27 Dec 1998 17:24:18 -0500 (EST)

At 12:37 PM 12/27/98 -0500, C.M. vd Berg wrote:
>A high ranking official in Korolyov assured me that the reboost of the >MIR-complex has nothing to do with an eventual prolongation of the >exploitation after June 1999, but was executed for ballistic reasons.   >The rumours about plans to extend MIR's operational life are unfounded >and the plan to bring MIR back in the earth's atmosphere after June 1999 >is still fully in  force. 

To this point, please see the article below:

Russian space agencies get ready for extension of Mir operation 
    
  12/27/98 
  BBC Worldwide Monitoring 
  Source: Interfax news agency, Moscow, in English 1529 gmt 23 Dec
  98/BBC Worldwide Monitoring/(c) BBC 

  Text of report in English by Russian news agency Interfax

  Moscow, 23rd December: The long-term planning group of Russia's
  Flight Control Centre [in the town of Korolev outside Moscow] has
  been instructed to draw a plan for the Mir space station 's work until
  2000 inclusive, the press service of the Energiya space rocket
  corporation told Interfax.

  The press service also said that the decision to prolong the life of the Mir
  space station and to finance this project with extrabudgetary funds had
  been supported by the Duma, the lower house of parliament, and by the
  government.

  The Russian Space Agency is now drafting documents under which the
  Energiya corporation will be fully in charge of the Mir space station
  and the government will provide guarantees backing investments in this
  project. These documents will comply with the international convention
  on responsibility for the safety of work in outer space.

  Energiya's deputy general director, Vladimir Nikitskiy, told Interfax that
  the corporation had received a package of proposals from foreign
  investors on further experiments on Mir . He also said that if government
  guarantees are provided, money for further operation of the Mir space
  station will be found very quickly.

  The next, 27th, expedition will go to the Russian orbital complex on 22nd
  February 1999. The crew will include a Russian commander, a French
  flight engineer and a Slovak researcher.

  It was believed until recently that the 27th expedition would be the last
  one. At the end of June the station's orbit was to be lowered and the
  crew was to leave it, after which the station was to come down to Earth
  at a safe place in the Pacific Ocean. The mission control centre told
  Interfax that it is ready to train crews for the 28th and 29th Mir
  expeditions.

-------------------

David C. Fowler
Serials Services Librarian
Mary & Jeff Bell Library
Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
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