Russia firm on Soyuz launch

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW, APRIL 27. Russia has decided to ignore an American request to postpone the launch of its spacecraft to the International Space Station suspecting the U.S. space agency NASA simulated a computer breakdown aboard the station to prevent Russians from taking a tourist to the ISS.

In a new sign of frictions between two main partners in the ISS project, Russia pushed ahead with preparations for the takeoff of the Soyuz-TM spaceship on Saturday morning despite warnings from NASA that the docking of the Russian capsule with the ISS could be dangerous with the U.S. space shuttle Endeavor still strapped to the station in close vicinity.

NASA had extended the Endeavour mission by two days to use the shuttle's computers to relay information from the ISS and called for Russia to delay its flight.

However, Russian space officials on Friday decided to go ahead with the scheduled Soyuz launch at 11.30 Moscow time on Saturday despite repeated objections from NASA.

``Technical glitches in the American segment of the space station are NASA's problem,'' Mr. Yuri Semyonov, head of the Energiya space corporation, told reporters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, from where the Russian spaceship will take off.

A Russian member of the Soyuz crew, which includes the U.S. businessman, Mr. Dennis Tito, hinted at Russian suspicions that the computer breakdown aboard the ISS was NASA's ruse to keep the first space tourist from visiting the station.

NASA had long objected to Mr. Tito's flight but this week grudgingly gave in to Russian pressure.

``Considering political problems that existed before, some people even suspect that (computer) problems have been deliberately created to achieve this end (cancel Mr. Tito's flight),'' said Mr. Tangat Musabayev, commander of the Soyuz space mission.

Russian space officials also vented their anger at American behaviour.

``It is at least tactless to demand that Tito promise to pay for anything he breaks in the American segment of the station while at the same time banning him from going there,'' Mr. Semyonov said, adding that Mr. Tito had not signed any such pledges.

Russian television said Moscow had taken a ``very tough line'' on the issue in order to show the Americans that it will not be sidelined on the space station they are building together.

``We're partners and there cannot be any dictating of one's will to a partner,'' Mr. Semyonov said.

He admitted that if the Americans would not temporarily undock Endeavour from the ISS while the Russian spaceship is being docked, the docking will have to be carried out manually, because of strong electrical field interference from the shuttle.

``Anyway we are sure we can do the job,'' the Russian space official added.

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Section  : International
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