Dec 12 1983
From The Space Library
Professor Konstantin Feoktistov, a senior Soviet space official, told a news conference that "work was being done" on the Soviet Space Shuttle project, which he described as being "more complex" and more "expensive" than Moscow's current orbiting manned-station program, the Washington Post reported. Also at the news conference were cosmonauts Vladimir Lyakhov and Aleksandr Aleksandrov, who had just returned from their record-long stay aboard Salyut-7. The two confirmed a series of recent mishaps in the Soviet space program, including a fuel leak in their Salyut 7 orbiting station and a launch pad explosion of a booster rocket September 26 that was to have brought a fresh crew to relieve them. Because of the explosion, the two cosmonauts said that their mission was extended by 50 days. General Vladimir Shatalov, space training chief, told the news conference that there was a leak of toxic propellant on the Salyut 7 space station but denied reports that the craft was so crippled by this as to endanger the crew's lives. "There was a problem with one of the subsystems and there was a leak of a certain amount of fuel," he said. "That part of the station was switched off and it continues to be viable today." That subsystem was used for space. maneuvering, the general added, noting that backup systems were sufficient to deal with the problem.
Another senior Soviet space official said privately that the Soviets were working on a Space Shuttle and that in "general terms we are considering both types of orbital vehicles-single-use and multiple-use," the Washington Post said. (W Post, Dec 13/83, A-10)
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