[FPSPACE] MirCorp's money for ISS ?

[Haeseler, Dietrich]

from http://www.spacedaily.com/news/001016162943.fjfp0iev.html:

Mir's demise would halt Russian role in ISS space station: MirCorp

MOSCOW (AFP) - October 16th, 2000
Russia will not be able to sustain its involvement in the International
Space Station (ISS) if it scraps the ailing Mir station, the head of MirCorp
charged with raising funds for Mir said Monday.

"Russia is committed to launching 17 special missions to the ISS in
2001-2002, but it is hard to believe the Russian government will be able to
finance them," MirCorp boss Jeffrey Manber told a press conference here.

"The only way to fulfill these obligations is to assure the survival of
Mir," he said, adding that private capital invested in the decrepit
Soviet-era space station could help finance Russia's participation in the
ISS.
.....
(Snip)


Perhaps I am not fully informed, but is not part of the money in MirCorp
coming from RKK Energia, and thus coming from the Russian state ? And can
MirCorp be a commercial success if part of their income is transferred to
Russia to re-finance their commitment to ISS ?

Up to now MirCorp still lacks the "private money" to finance the planned
Mir-operations. Nothing seems to be available for transferring to other
programmes.

Dietrich Haeseler