Dec 4 1994
From The Space Library
Astronaut Frank Culbertson, charged with helping to arrange the series of Shuttle missions to Russian Space Station Mir, discussed some of the frustrations of working with the Russians and the American need for patience and flexibility, given the linguistic, cultural, and economic differences between the two countries. Culbertson indicated that the initial Russian response to U.S. requests was "No" and that, for example, the Russians had withheld key information about the explosive charges, which were developed for a military program, that were involved in the Russian latching mechanism that would enable U.S. Shuttle Atlantis to dock with Mir. Another problem was the delay in getting U.S. astronaut Norman Thagard's equipment to Mir. A longer range hitch entailed the Russian guidance and propulsion module being built for the U.S. International Space Station. So far the Russians had received a U.S. commitment of $25 million for the component but it appeared they wanted up to $245 million. When Thagard was interviewed about U.S.-Russian space work, he said that it would seem that thus far the two had managed to make their cooperation work. (H Chron, Dec 4/94)
The proposed merger of Martin Marietta Corporation and Lockheed Corporation was analyzed. The result would be not only the world's largest defense company but also, according to the writer, "the most politically powerful" because of its lobbying clout. The new firm would excel particularly in missiles and jets. The proposal caused numerous rumors of other merger efforts by defense firms. (0 Sen Star, Dec 4/94; W Post, Dec 6/94)
NASA's attempts to streamline its management of space programs and cut costs were highlighted with details of personnel cuts and commendation of the efforts of Jeremiah Pearson who had served as Associate Administrator for Space Flight. An example of Shuttle and Space Station mergers was the Johnson Space Center's new $250 million Mission Control Center. The Center could handle Shuttle missions, activities aboard the Mir, and the new International Space Station simultaneously. (H Chron, Dec 4/94)
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