Feb 3 2000
From The Space Library
In another escalation of the increasingly tense debate over how to handle Russia's repeated delays in building and launching the service module of the International Space Station (ISS), NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin announced that, if Russia did not meet a July 2000 deadline, the United States would provide a substitute module. Russia was already more than two years behind schedule, affecting the ISS's timeline and hampering the cooperative international effort. Goldin's decision followed Russia's announcement of its plan to direct more resources to the failing Mir space station. Some space experts perceived Russia's designation of scarce financial funds to Mir, rather than to the ISS, as a signal of Russia's reluctance to participate fully in the international space consortium. In his strongest criticism to date, Goldin said of Russia's ISS involvement: "To say we are frustrated and disappointed is an understatement ... We want the Russians to be there, but we felt we had to be responsible custodians to keep the program on track. '873
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