[FPSPACE] Russia to start extracting helium on Moon as Soyuz goes digital

[ALLEN THOMSON]

DSFPortree at aol.com wrote:    
> Can you say, "Garbled story"?

  Just for the record, here's the actual story from http://en.rian.ru/russia/20060427/46976841.html
   
              Russia to start extracting helium on Moon as Soyuz goes digital
                      15:00  |  27/ 04/ 2006     

      MOSCOW, April 27 (RIA Novosti) - Spacecraft manufacturer Energiya said Thursday that its new digitally-controlled Soyuz TMA vehicles will be used to extract lunar reserves of helium-3 until a reusable shuttle comes online. 
   
  "Before the new Clipper space shuttle is there to take over, we will have to master new digital control systems that we are now installing on Soyuz [craft] instead of analogue parts," Energiya Chief Executive Nikolai Sevastyanov said. 
   
  He said only Russian-made systems will be used to upgrade the Soyuz TMA, and that the digital version will be cheaper, lighter and more spacious. 
   
  The three-seater Soyuz TMA capsule was the sole vehicle to carry crews to the International Space Station after U.S. shuttle flights were suspended over the Columbia disaster in February 2003, to resume only two-and-a-half years later. 
   
  Russia's next-generation reusable Clipper shuttle, which seats six, is expected to replace the veteran Soyuz by 2015.
   
  The Russian version is at http://www.rian.ru/technology/cosmos/20060427/46972219.html
   
   
              Ïðîìûøëåííîå îñâîåíèå Ëóíû Ðîññèÿ íà÷íåò íà êîðàáëÿõ "Ñîþç-ÒÌÀ"
            13:34  |  27/ 04/ 2006   

        ÌÎÑÊÂÀ, 27 àïð - ÐÈÀ Íîâîñòè. Ïðîìûøëåííîå îñâîåíèå Ëóíû ñ öåëüþ äîáû÷è ïîëåçíûõ èñêîïàåìûõ, â ÷àñòíîñòè, ãåëèÿ-3, Ðîññèÿ íà÷íåò íà ìîäåðíèçèðîâàííûõ êîñìè÷åñêèõ êîðàáëÿõ "Ñîþç-ÒÌÀ" ñ öèôðîâûìè ñèñòåìàìè óïðàâëåíèÿ, çàòåì èì íà ñìåíó ïðèäåò íîâûé ïèëîòèðóåìûé êîðàáëü "Êëèïåð". 



     
  "Ïåðâûå ïîëåòû ê Ëóíå áóäóò îñóùåñòâëÿòüñÿ íà ìîäåðíèçèðîâàííûõ ïèëîòèðóåìûõ êîñìè÷åñêèõ êîðàáëÿõ "Ñîþç-ÒÌÀ" - äî ïðèõîäà èì íà ñìåíó íîâîãî ìíîãîðàçîâîãî êîñìè÷åñêîãî êîðàáëÿ "Êëèïåð" ìû äîëæíû ïîëíîñòüþ îòðàáîòàòü íà "Ñîþçàõ" íîâûå öèôðîâûå ñèñòåìû óïðàâëåíèÿ, êîòîðûå ìû ââîäèì âçàìåí ïðèìåíÿåìûõ ñåé÷àñ àíàëîãîâûõ êîìïîíåíòîâ", - ñêàçàë â ÷åòâåðã ãëàâà ÐÊÊ "Ýíåðãèÿ" Íèêîëàé Ñåâàñòüÿíîâ. 
   
  Îòâå÷àÿ íà óòî÷íÿþùèé âîïðîñ ÐÈÀ Íîâîñòè, Ñåâàñòüÿíîâ ñêàçàë, ÷òî íà ìîäåðíèçèðîâàííûé ïèëîòèðóåìûé êîðàáëü "Ñîþç-ÒÌÀ" áóäóò óñòàíàâëèâàòüñÿ öèôðîâûå êîìïëåêñû òîëüêî îòå÷åñòâåííîãî ïðîèçâîäñòâà è ñòåðåîòèï î òîì, ÷òî çàðóáåæíûå ðàäèîýëåêòðîííûå êîìïîíåíòû áîëåå ñîâåðøåííû, íàäî ëîìàòü. 

        



    "Íà íîâûõ êîñìè÷åñêèõ êîðàáëÿõ, êîòîðûå èìåþò ïîêà ðàáî÷åå íàçâàíèå "Ñîþç-ÒÌÀ-Ö", òî åñòü öèôðîâîé, áóäóò óñòàíîâëåíû òîëüêî îòå÷åñòâåííûå êîìïîíåíòû", - ñêàçàë îí. 
   
  Ãëàâà ÐÊÊ "Ýíåðãèÿ" îòìåòèë òàêæå, ÷òî ïåðåõîä ñ àíàëîãîâîé òåõíèêè, ðàçðàáîòàííîé â 70-80 ãîäû, íà öèôðîâóþ ïîçâîëèò óâåëè÷èòü âíóòðåííåå ïðîñòðàíñòâî òåñíîãî "Ñîþçà", ñíèçèòü åãî âåñ è ñåáåñòîèìîñòü. 
   
  "Ñîþç" òàê æå, êàê è ñåé÷àñ, áóäåò èìåòü òðè êðåñëà, íî ïðèìåíåíèå "öèôðû" ïîçâîëèò ñäåëàòü êîðàáëü ïðîñòîðíåå âíóòðè è ñóùåñòâåííî ñíèçèòü åãî âåñ", - ñêàçàë Ñåâàñòüÿíîâ.