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SHORTHAND REPORT ON
THE TELECAST 'GOOD AFTERNOON'
held on February 2nd 2001 on the ORT channel l |
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| Solovyov: |
Such failures
used to occur at the station and can happen any time,
because it is a sophisticated space technology and it
is a normal practise. However, as the Flight Director
I can state that irreversible, as we say, events have
been developing on the station, especially on the central
core module, since last summer or during the last six
months. Let us take, for example, thermal control system.
It contains lots of pipelines welded securely to the
body of the station. As these pipelines 'grow older'
their tightness deteriorates. This tightness (pressure
integrity) could be restored, despite the fact that
80% of the station surface cannot be repaired on the
inside, because they are closed by the instruments.
These instruments should be removed, but it would cost
a pretty sum of money. Just imagine having heat supply,
air-conditioning and other systems in your flat completely
altered! Next comes the problem of the so-called inadvertent
passage of commands, which manifested itself last summer,
especially last fall. The remarks on this inadvertent
passage of commands grew rapidly in number. The term
may seem not quite clear to those who are not involved
in space-related activities, but it may happen so that
we are sitting at our desks, flying and at this time
the light will go out. What if the main engine is fired?
The main engine will be fired on its own, some commands
will be generated inadvertently and all our people at
MCC along with crew members will be deep in thought
and guessing: 'How is that? How long?' |
| Announcer: |
How can we save the lives
of those who are flying on orbit? That is to say, reducing
the above mentioned to a common denominator, one can
say that 'the game is not worth the candle' (as our
saying runs). Have you any comments? |
| Anfimov: |
No comments.
I just want to focus on the two aspects of this problem.
The first aspect concerns establishing proper relationship
between what we need to do to extend the station life
(bearing in mind its economic potential) and what we
shall get in return. But the second aspect being ignored
for same reason is our responsibility for a possible
environmental impact upon the Earth in the event of
our failure to deorbit the station in a controlled way.
Under international law it is the Russian Government
who is considered responsible for the aftereffects rather
than those currently present in the studio, cosmonauts,
people, RSC Energia. |
| Announcer: |
You see, we are receiving the correspondence
from 98 countries. On the whole, our foreign correspondents
are concerned about impact area of the Mir station.
If we don't give proper attention to what is going on,
all normal processes, its fall trajectory, the press
will make a stir. For instance, last year it was rumoured
that the station would fall to Paris. Where will the
station fall? |
| Anfimov: |
As I represent
the primary institute of Rosaviakosmos engaged in the
entire complex of the above problems, it is safe to
say that if the station is left to its own resources,
then the station will fall to any location of the Earth
with an equal degree of probability limited by the parallels
of 52° NL and 52° SL. Moscow is outside this impact
area. The station will not fall on Moscow. |
| Announcer: |
Will you name any big cities
so that our TV viewers can imagine? |
| Solovyov: |
Paris,
Rome, London, Tokyo. |
| Anfimov: |
The area
covers 85% of the whole Earth. |
| Alexeyev:
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Nikolai
Apollonovich, the same situation was with the Saliut
station. |
| Malyshev:
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Let me answer.
The thing is that we look at the matter only on one
side. That is to say, there is no alternative. We witnessed
the fall of the 4 stations: 3 Saliuts, one Skylab. Skylab
weighed 77 tons and NASA announced the competition for
those who wished to find fragments. No fragments were
found. |
| Solovyov: |
They brought
one and a half tons of the fragments and not the fragments,
but rather… |
| Malyshev:
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From the
Skylab? |
| Solovyov: |
Yes, of
course. |
| Malyshev:
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And, however,
no… |
| Announcer: |
I am not very good at technical
issues as most of our TV viewers, but I am very concerned
about personal attitudes towards the station: are you
sorry about it? |
| Anfimov: |
Of course,
I am sorry about it, because it is our pride. It is
quite an epoch in the development of Russia. |
| Solovyov: |
It is painful
to see that such a property is going to pieces. |
| Announcer: |
Now let's remember what the
main achievements have been made over the 15 years due
to the Mir station. |
| Alexeyev:
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May I make
a remark on this occasion? |
| Announcer: |
You may do it after the story. We wish to recall
in our memory what contribution has been made by the
Mir station over the last 15 years?
I welcome the guests joining us. This is Pyotr Ilyich
Klymuk, director of Cosmonauts Training Center after
Yu.A.Gagarin; Alexandr Alexandrovich Serebrov, Pilot-Cosmonaut,
President of the VAKO Soyuz, Good afternoon, our honoured
guests! So, we have watched the film and remembered
what the achievements had been made on the Mir station.
In this connection, I recalled in my memory what Konstantin
Feoktistov, one of the Mir developers, said on this
occasion. He argued that there had been no accomplishments,
that during the 15 years we had not made any progress;
no significant results had been achieved; all these
orbital stations were of no value. The talk was held
here, on the sofa, on Wednesday. Please, comment on
the above words.
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