Cosmomnautics

By Dennis Newkirk

COPYRIGHT 1994 by CSPACE PRESS INC. All rights reserved
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August 1994

Cosmodrome Developments

	The problem of the Baykonur Cosmodrome has still not been settled 
after months of bickering between Russia and Kazakstan, even after the 
signing of an accord between Presidents Yeltsin and Nazarbayev. In March, 
$115M per year was proposed as a preliminary figure for rent of the 
cosmodrome and the land around it. Kazakstan had earlier been asking for 
$150 Million. 
	By July, Kazakstan raised their request to $480 Million per year, but 
offered the compromise that satellite communications and environmental 
monitoring services would be acceptable as a form of payment.  On July 1, 
the sum of 277 Billion roubles was offered by Russia, out of which 83 
Billion would go to salaries at the cosmodrome, 89 Billion for 
cosmodrome systems support, and 105 Billion for capital improvements, 
but only 49 Billion Roubles have been officially allocated. And, so the saga 
goes on with no real solution in sight.
	In a post flight interview in February, cosmonaut Vasiliy Tsibliyev 
complained that Progress resupply flights have begun arriving at Mir not 
fully loaded, with food missing and food packages replaced with other 
items. Fresh food like milk is lacking compared to earlier years. Western 
reporters have speculated that the error is either due to failures in 
planning or pilfering at Baykonur as the supplies are packed.
	One of the bargaining chips in the dispute is the continuing Russian 
maneuvering to establish a new low latitude Russian launch site. The 
Svobodny Cosmodrome project is gaining some support, at least from 
President Boris Yeltsin. Yeltsin has pledged 4 Trillion Roubles over the 
next 10 years. It was touted that if the project was started immediately, 
large boosters could be launched by 2005 and up to 10,000 people could be 
employed in the construction.
	The other alternative is to rely on the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in 
Russiaıs Arctic. But, it also faces some of the same problems as Baykonur 
and which Kazakstan in complains about like the debris that falls from the 
sky. The recent work of cleaning the wilderness around the Plesetsk has 
been discontinued due to sever lack of funding. In the first few months of 
1994, little regular funding was received to run the cosmodrome causing 
it to also fall behind on payments for power and heat. As of this year, 
1,858,000 kg. of booster debris has been colleted from 318,000 hectares. 
Much of this material is awaiting recycling or scrapping because there is 
no money to transport it anywhere. 
	The chief of the cosmodrome said in March that facilities at 
Plesetsk need 5 Billion (1992) roubles for improvements to assume the 
responsibilities of Baykonur. As for the shortage of personnel, that may be 
no problem since many of those escaping conditions at Baykonur are 
destined for jobs at Plesetsk. 
	A March article has revealed the causes behind the worst launching 
accident at Plesetsk in March 1980 which killed 51 people. Initial reports 
that the explosion and fire while preparing a Meteor launch were due to 
incorrect ground procedures has been rebutted. Now it seems that the 
explosion was actually due to a defect in a component of the launch pad 
systems. This was discovered when the same situation occurred again in 
1981. The cause was found to be a filter in a Hydrogen Peroxide line filter. 
As loading began the filter got very hot, and after quick draining and 
inspection the filter was found to have been assembled with a lead/tin 
solder instead of the specified pure tin solder. The lead was reacting with 
the highly reactive Hydrogen Peroxide resulting in temperatures hot 
enough to melt the assembly. Apparently there had been a late change in 
the documentation about which soldier to use, but the manufacturing 
process never caught up with the change.

Space Industry Developments

	A Russian Space Agency draft on the State Space Program from 1994 
to 2000 calls for a budget of 16 Trillion Roubles. In 1994 the budget level 
was proposed to be 1.7 Trillion Roubles (.23% of the total expenditures of 
the Russian government). 30% is to be allocated quarterly each year in an 
attempt to ration funding so it will not be squandered all at once.  
Meanwhile, 40% of workers of space industry had left their jobs by 1993. 
Many of those still working are working shortened hours or are on unpaid 
summer leave.
	Conversion of the defense industry is being promoted one way by the 
Russian government by funding of the Start-II program. SS-25 Topol 
ICBMıs which are decommissioned from active service are being 
repurchased by the manufacturer with Defense Industry credits for 
reconfiguration as space boosters. The booster can be launched by a mobile 
launcher and orbit 1500 kg. payloads. An SS-25 was launched with fanfare 
to promote the project on June 22 and a trial launch was being scheduled 
for September.