[FPSPACE] Reuters: Russian parliament criticises ditching Mir orbiter

[JamesOberg@aol.com]

Russian parliament criticises ditching Mir orbiter
11:55 11-24-00
  
MOSCOW, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Russia's State Duma lower house of parliament 
criticised government plans on Friday to discard the ageing Mir space station 
early next year. 

Deputies overwhelmingly supported a motion condemning the "premature end to 
operations aboard the Mir orbital station, and ditching it is a poorly 
thought out and unjustified step." 

Space officials announced last week that the government had decided to dump 
15-year-old Mir into the Pacific Ocean off Australia late in February due to 
lack of cash and viable investors. 

It was not immediately clear whether the Duma's statement would influence the 
government's decision. 

It said some $60 million needed to keep Mir in orbit next year could be found 
in the federal budget. Lawmakers say the station provides jobs for 100,000 
scientists and engineers. 

During its eventful lifetime Mir has helped Soviet and Russian cosmonauts set 
a string of space endurance records that have been the nation's pride -- and 
the envy of its better-funded U.S. rivals. 

But in recent years the station has lost its lustre due to a series of 
mishaps, including a near catastrophic collision with a cargo craft, an 
on-board fire and computer failures which sent it spinning aimlessly through 
space. 

U.S. space officials have pushed Russia to dump Mir, saying it drained sparce 
resources that would be better spent on Russia's role in the International 
Space Station.