Jul 12 2000

From The Space Library

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Current revision

After nearly two years of delays and many questions regarding the Russian Space Agency's commitment to the ISS, Russia successfully launched the Zvezda module aboard a Proton rocket. Building the 22-ton (20,000-kilogram or 20-tonne), US$320 million module, to provide living quarters for researchers aboard the ISS, had severely taxed the Russian space program. To bring the project to fruition, Russia had relied on the resourcefulness of its scientists and engineers, as well as resorting to creative financing arrangements, such as selling the U.S.-based Pizza Hut Company an advertisement for display on the side of the Proton launch rocket. Russia had insured Zvezda's launch for more than US$1 billion. Hundreds of spectators, representing aerospace companies from Russia and Western countries, witnessed the launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Watching the launch with Director General of the Russian Space Agency Yuri N. Koptev, NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin praised the successful completion of the long-awaited module: "The Russians have gone through all sorts of difficulty with their economy, the political changes, and a whole variety of other problems, and they came through and did what they said they were going to do." Koptev made clear the high stakes for future Russian space projects, based on the successful launch and linkup of Zvezda: "This is 10 years of work and the success of this launch will determine to a large extent whether the Russian space programme continues or not." The international space community greeted news of the launch as a sign that the much-postponed ISS was nearing completion. Although Russia had plans to contribute further portals to the ISS, none of its subsequent contributions had as much potential to delay the international effort.

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