News from Moscow

NEWS FROM MOSCOW

EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY

Issue No. 8, April 29, 2005 Permanent Mission In the Russian Federation

Publication Manager - Alain Fournier-Sicre Editorial Staff - Tatiana Suslova - Andrei Krasnov

Inside this issue: President Delivers Export Control Into the Good Hands 3 President Vladimir Putin on April 26 signed a decree setting up an export control committee after appointing its new members and a new chairman – Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov. Under his direction, the revived committee must not only ensure that Russia fulfills its arms export control obligations, but also watch how other countries observe these obligations. EU Hopeful for a Deal in Moscow 4 The European Union expressed confidence it could overcome last-minute difficulties and sign a long-delayed partnership accord with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow next month. “Our aim remains to conclude the negotiations ... at the summit May 10. We are practically, nearly there,” EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said. Russian Space Agency Consolidating Shareholders Of Energia 5 Corporation The General Shareholder Meeting of RKK Energia is set for May 28. In order to pursue a single national policy in regard to the Energia corporation, the Federal Space Agency suggests that the shareholders of the corporation (both individuals and legal entities) should consolidate their shares with the state-owned package and vote jointly at the annual General Shareholder Meeting. ISS Expedition 10 Crew, Eneide Mission Return to Earth 6 The 10-day Eneide Mission to the International Space Station came to a successful conclusion when the Soyuz TMA-5 command module, carrying Italian ESA astronaut Roberto Vittori and the ISS Expedition 10 crew Russian cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov, US astronaut Leroy Chiao, touched down early morning April 25, 2005 near the town of Arkalyk in Kazakhstan. Russia, ESA Agree to Send T. Reiter Into Space 9 The Russian State Space Agency Roscosmos and the European Space Agency have signed an agreement on the flight of German astronaut Thomas Reiter to the International Space Station. Alcatel To Establish A JV With NPO PM To Bring Russian Satel- 10 lites To Global Market The Reshetnev Research and Production Association of Applied Mechanics (NPO PM) and Alcatel Space company intend to establish a joint venture to build satellites. The Russian association will be given access to modern R&D work and the French company will have the opportunity to use cheap labor. In addition, the alliance will guarantee Russian satellites access to the tough global satellite market. News from Moscow No. 8/2005 Page 2

Inside this issue:

EADS-Tesat/RNII KP Joint Venture To Be Established Soon 11 Head of Roscosmos Anatoly Perminov discussed at talks with co-president of EADS concern Philippe Camus the question of signing founding documents on the creation of a joint venture between the Russian Research Institute of Instrument-Making (RNII KP) and a daughter firm of EADS - Tesat. Roscosmos has also recently agreed to participate in work to carry out drop tests at supersonic velocities of the European craft Phoenix-2 Kazakhstan And Russia To Develop New Satellite Launching 11 System According to the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Danial Akhmetov, Kazakhstan and Russia are studying the development of a small “space rocket” launching system Ishim using a supersonic Mig- 31 jet fighter. Cooperation on the Baiterek launch system also develops. In a recent press release Roscosmos announced that the launch pad of Site 200 (ex-Proton) and the technical facility at Site 92 will be used for the Baiterek ground infrastructure for launching Angara. Venus Express Project Team in Baikonur 12 On April 10-14, 2005, the Venus Express ESA project team and the industrial contractors paid a visit to Baikonur for the Preliminary Cosmodrome Readiness Review. This is part of the preparation for the Venus Express launch campaign starting early August this year for the launch of the ESA scientific mission to Venus on board a Russian-made Soyuz launcher in October. .

News from Moscow No. 8/2005 Page 3

Politics

President Delivers Export Control into the Good Hands of Defense Minister Ivanov

resident Vladimir Putin on provision remained unchanged, the P April 26 signed a decree setting committee’s membership often up an export control committee after ap- changed. Only the main rule remained pointing its new members and a new the same – the deputy prime minister chairman – Defense Minister Sergey for the military industrial complex was Ivanov. Under his direction, the revived appointed committee chairman. How- committee must not only ensure that ever, administrative reform began in Russia fulfills its arms export control ob- March 2004, as a result of which 19 of ligations, but also watch how other coun- the 22 committee members lost their tries observe these obligations. jobs, and the prime minister was left The government export control with only one deputy – Aleksandr committee was set up by decree of Boris Zhukov (see NFM Special Issue Yeltsin “to ensure a unified government 4/2004). As a result, the committee's export policy.” The functions assigned to work was paralyzed it included the fulfillment of international The presidential decree finally re- arms and military equipment export con- stored its ability to work. The main trol obligations. Staffing of the committee point of the amendments is that now was entrusted to the prime minister, the committee must not only ensure whose duties at that time were being per- that Russia fulfills its arms export con- formed by the president himself. In 2001, trol obligations, but also watch how for- the government committee was dis- eign countries observe these obliga- banded, and replaced by a new one set up tions. directly by the president and having the Specifically, the committee is di- status of a federal interdepartmental rected to predict and uncover threats to agency. It was assigned the same func- Russia’s security connected with the tions as the government committee, i.e., proliferation of weapons of mass de- the fulfillment of Russia’s international struction (WMD) and means of deliver- obligations for nonproliferation of nu- ing them, as well as to prepare propos- clear, rocket, chemical, biological, and als for counteracting these threats. The other armaments and weapons of mass committee will analyze the effectiveness destruction, as well as components for of international cooperation in the area manufacturing them, and control over of nonproliferation of WMD and pre- export goods and dual-purpose technolo- pare proposals on the lines and forms of gies. cooperation with foreign countries and Today, the fundamental document international organizations in the indi- on export control of technologies in the cated fields. A new line of work for the nuclear, rocket, and other hi-tech fields is committee will be to prepare proposals presidential decree No. 96 of January 29, for annual government reports to the 2001, which implemented the provision president on the situation with nonpro- on the export control committee and de- liferation of WMD and means of deliv- termined its membership. But while the ery. News from Moscow No. 8/2005 Page 4

The president also showed a new (FSTEK), formed in March 2004 as the approach on the staffing question. For the result of a merger between the presi- first time, the defense minister rather dent’s State Technical Committee and than the deputy prime minister has been the export control department of the named chairman of the committee. As a Ministry of Economic Development and high-level source in the Russian Govern- Trade. Incidentally, Colonel General ment explained to Kommersant, there Aleksandr Prigorov, the head of was nothing sensational about this. “This FSTEK, was appointed deputy chairman is not a reduction of the committee’s of the export control committee yester- status or a promotion for its new chair- day. man. It’s just that a single deputy prime Nevertheless, the Ministry of De- minister can't physically head the major- fense regarded yesterday’s presidential ity of existing committees.” This is why decree as good news. A Kommersant this function was turned over to the Min- source in the ministry’s central staff istry of Defense, to which President Putin viewed Ivanov’s appointment as com- previously turned over the Federal Tech- mittee chairman increased the minis- nical and Export Control Service try’s influence. (From Kommersant daily, April 27)

EU Hopeful for a Deal in Moscow

he European Union expressed grants from Western Europe, whether T confidence it could overcome they are Russians or not. last-minute difficulties and sign a long- “I am convinced we will find solu- delayed partnership accord with Presi- tions because now it is no longer so dent Vladimir Putin in Moscow next much about substance” but about how month. to phrase an accord, Ferrero-Waldner “Our aim remains to conclude the said on the margins of an EU foreign negotiations ... at the summit May 10. We ministers meeting. She said a deal was are practically, nearly there,” EU External possible at the May 10 EU-Russia sum- Relations Commissioner Benita Fer- mit in Moscow. rero-Waldner said. In the area of economics, Russia The EU and Russia are pursuing has agreed to phase out by 2014 charges broad cooperation in four areas: the econ- to EU air carriers crossing Russian air- omy, external security, justice matters space over Siberia. EU officials were and cultural affairs, including research still pushing Moscow to start the phase- and education. But agreement has been out soon. The EU is Moscow’s largest difficult to reach. trading partner, accounting for more At a summit in The Hague, Nether- than half of its trade, while Russia is a lands, last fall, they could not agree on major energy supplier for Europe. cooperation in external security -- an area What has rankled Russia is the touching Russian relations with Ukraine, EU’s economic and political outreach Moldova, Belarus and the Caucasus re- out to its eastern neighbors. It has al- publics. ready lost eight Eastern European na- The summit was overshadowed by tions to the EU -- they joined the bloc a stark differences over Ukraine, where year ago -- and is wary of EU meddling street protests have since ushered a pro- in former Soviet republics, which Mos- Western opposition into power. cow sees as its sphere of influence. The two sides have also disagreed After taking in 10 newcomers last on a visa deal and readmission accords May, the EU has been at pains to sign forcing Moscow to take back illegal immi- tailor-made accords with new eastern News from Moscow No. 8/2005 Page 5

neighbors, offering far-reaching trade accord” because Moscow demanded a and cooperation benefits but -- crucially - deal different from the EU - no prospect of membership. Its “neighborhood” agreements with “European Neighborhood” accords aim to Ukraine and others to reflect its status make Europe more secure by bringing as a global, nuclear power. stability and prosperity to volatile re- (From The Moscow Times, April 26) gions. Editor’s note: Assistant to RF President Ser- Russia was offered a “partnership gei Yastrzhembski is coordinating the agreement in all fields on the Russian side.

Economy

Russian Space Agency Consolidating Shareholders Of Energia Corporation

he Russian Federal Space higher dividends. T Agency has got under control As of now, the government owns the consolidation of shares of the Energia 38.22% of Energia’s shares. Space Corporation based in Korolev, the “In order to pursue a single na- Moscow region, reads the agency’s press tional policy in regard to the Energia release available on its web-site. corporation, the Federal Space Agency “The leadership of the Russian aero- suggests that the shareholders of the space industry is sure that the consolida- corporation (both individuals and legal tion of the corporation’s shares with the entities) should consolidate their shares state-owned package will allow us to re- with the state-owned package and vote tain and even improve the research and jointly at the annual General Share- development potential of the leading en- holder Meeting,” reads the press re- terprise in this branch of industry,” reads lease. the press release. The organizing committee is going According to it, the General Share- to publish the data on share consolida- holder Meeting of Energia is set for May tion on the Federal Space Agency’s offi- 28. cial web-site. Moreover, the same data “The Russian government author- will be available via the agency’s tele- ized the Federal Space Agency to super- phone hotline. vise that a single national policy of the A press release published on April country is pursued at the aerospace enter- 26 on the Roscosmos web site stated prises of the country. The government that the Federal Space Agency received will support Energia in its involvement a document from the Government of the into the Federal Space Program, and as- Russian Federation titled “Directives for sist in attracting investments for its com- the participation in the Annual General mercial projects,” the press release reads. Stockholders’ Meeting of OAO RKK En- According to it, putting this plan in ergia”. The document “commits the rep- action will improve the economic situa- resentative of the Russian Federation tion at Energia, as well as will help to en- government to vote ‘in favor’ of Nikolai sure that the manufacturing capabilities Nikolayevich Sevastyanov” running of the corporation are used in full, so that for the President of RKK Energia. shareholders could enjoy the real growth (Interfax-AVN, April 25) of prices of their shares, and could get See also NFM 5/2005 for more details. News from Moscow No. 8/2005 Page 6

International Space Station

ISS Expedition 10 Crew, Eneide Mission Return to Earth he 10-day Eneide Mis- T sion to the International Space Station came to a successful conclusion when the Soyuz TMA-5 command module, carrying Italian ESA astronaut Roberto Vittori and the ISS Expedition 10 crew Russian cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov, US astronaut Leroy Chiao, touched down early morning April 25, 2005 near the town of Arkalyk in Kazakhstan at 02:08 am Moscow time (22:08 GMT April 24) after a return flight of just over three hours. The Soyuz undocked from Photo: EMO the International Space Station at 22:45 April 24 Moscow time with VIEW OF LANDING SITE 2,5 HRS AFTER LANDING a four-minute delay vs. the scheduled time caused by a problem with oxy- of the Central Asian state. By decision of gen supply to Vittori’s space suit. The suit general Popov in charge of the rescue was loosing pressure due to a badly operation, special measures were taken clamped glove/sleeve joint. After re- to cope with flooding and darkness. The clamping the joint, everything returned to Soyuz was spotted despite the darkness normal. as soon as it opened its parachute. The landing, under a nearly full Mission control in Korolev said moon two hours before daybreak, was there had been no major problems. complicated by flooding on the steppe, a “Everything went as planned. The Soyuz flat featureless expanse that covers much TMA-5 landed on its side,” Vladimir Solovyov, ISS Flight Director said. The capsule was sitting on its side so that the astronauts had to spend some time in the awkward upside down position after the landing but it did not last long because they arrived on site just 11 seconds after the capsule touch down. Just four helicopters of the search and recovery detail in the area were able to land in the waterlogged conditions, following weeks of heavy snow and rain, to extract the space crew. A unique method of crew evacua- tion was applied with the rescue heli- Photo: EMO copters actually hovering above the landing site. Rescue team descended on SOYUZ RE-ENTRY CAPSULE News from Moscow No. 8/2005 Page 7 the ground using special rope ladders, opened the hatch and pulled the crew out. Sharipov was the first to emerge from the Soyuz spacecraft after its landing, followed by Chiao and Vittori. Af- ter receiving permission from the doctor who ex- amined the crew on site, the crew were lifted aboard the helicopter on stretchers one by one. The whole operation from the opening of capsule’s parachute until arrival at a disused airport at Arkalyk, where ©ESA-S. CORVAJA Russia's space agency set POST-LANDING HEALTH CHECK up a hospital tent 85 km away from the landing site, took less then space since October 2004, where they 50 minutes. spent 192 days 19 hours 1 min and 59 “We had had to wait longer for the sec, performing two spacewalks. rescue team to find us last time when I Roberto Vittori spent in space 9 days 21 was participating in the previous Marco hours 21 min and 2 sec. Polo mission,” said Roberto Vittori dur- Together with the three men, some ing his teleconference with the Italian 50 live snails launched on Progress journalists. M52 (see NFM 5/2005) also returned to Sharipov and Chiao had been in Earth. Their mission was to spend more than a month on the ISS as part of a se- ries of experiments on weightlessness. Vittori performed 22 experiments on board the ISS, including tests on astronaut fatigue, the dura- bility of components of microsatellites, research into electromagnetic waves emanating from earth that may be linked to earthquakes, naviga- tion signal tests, and the growing of plants as a potential source of food for those in orbit. All the ex- Photo: NFM periments were com- pleted as planned. The ARRIVAL IN CHKALOVSKY AIRFIELD News from Moscow No. 8/2005 Page 8

only problem was a faulty fuse in the LAZIO experiment, which was replaced after a one- day investigation. The crickets were safely returned in the capsule. The landing of Soyuz TMA-5 was witnessed in TsUP by the following officials: Mr. Perminov, Head of Roscos- mos, Mr. Tsybliev, Chief of the Cosmonaut Training Cen- ter, Mr. Zelenshchikov, Dep- uty DG Energia, Mr. Gregory, Deputy NASA Administrator, Mr. Readdy, NASA Associate Administrator, Mr. Anfimov, Photo: NFM Director of TsNIIMash Mr. Fournier-Sicre, Head of the IN STAR CITY ESA Permanent Mission in RF, General Pecci, of the Italian Air Force. At the press conference that was the international partners and stressed held right after the landing Mr. Perminov the efficiency of RKK Energia in imple- said: “Roberto Vittori first of all passed all menting the Eneide experiment, which his ‘luggage’ that he has brought form ISS required a modification of the Soyuz to the rescue team and only after he was vehicle that had been successfully done sure that he did not forget anything he in a matter of months. came out himself.” A traditional press conference “I would like to thank all those peo- dedicated to the return of expedition 10 ple who made this event happen,” said to ISS was held at Star City On 27 April. Gen. Pecci at the press conference. Journalists asked the astronauts various Mr. Fournier-Sicre congratulated questions about their work at ISS. The biological experiments were of the most interest. One of the journalists asked Roberto Vittori about his experiments and especially the experiment with crickets. “Everything went nominal. The specialists will have to analyze the results now. I don’t know how are they now but Mama (that’s how Roberto called the pregnant female crickets) was having a hard time at the Space Station,” said Roberto. Roberto was also asked about the problem with his spacesuit that had occurred a few minutes before undocking. “I did not really understand what the problem Photo: NFM was but Sasha (Salizhan) helped me immediately, he fixed my PRESS CONFERENCE IN STAR CITY News from Moscow No. 8/2005 Page 9

gloves. The specialists will investigate tried to jump on him,” said Davide, his this problem now,” Vittori answered. second son. The youngest one is only 5 “We took a lot of pictures of Earth months old so he was not present at the from space and we were amazed by the press conference. But he was meeting beauty of the Earth. It seems so small his father on the tarmac in Chkalovski and so vulnerable. Only a person that when the crew returned from Baikonur. goes to space can see such things. But we One of the journalists asked the also saw pollution, smog from the plants question if they were eager to go on a and factories. Especially there is a lot of next flight, with the reference to Alexan- smog above Asia. It is much polluted. I der Kaleri who said that he really en- will ask all my friends and all the people joyed flying on Soyuz but did not want that I will meet in the future to take care to fly immediately to space. “I’m ready of our planet,” said Salizhan Sharipov. for the long-duration flight. My wife Radio News asked Roberto Vittori does not understand any Russian so; about the feelings that he and his chil- please do not translate this to her.” dren had when they saw each other at the The atmosphere during the Press airport. “They came to meet me at the conference was very friendly and com- airport. I was very happy to see them. fortable. Leroy Chiao, Salizhan Sharipov Flights to space are very unpredictable; and Roberto Vittori gave frank answers you’ll never know what will happen,” said to all the questions of the journalists. Roberto. The moderator of the Press con- The astronauts and the representatives ference passed the microphone to his of Mass Media enjoyed time that they children so that they could say a few have spent together. words about their feelings when they saw (Combined media reports with inputs from their father. “I was very excited,” said Albina Valeeva of the ESA Permanent Mis- Eduardo, the eldest son of Vittori. “I sion in RF)

Russia, ESA Agree to Send T. Reiter Into Space

he Russian State Space Agency According to the agreement, as a T Roscosmos and the European member of the long-duration crew Space Agency have signed an agreement Reiter will carry out scientific research on the flight of German astronaut Tho- and technical duties. mas Reiter to the International Space Thomas Reiter has already been to Station in July 2005, a Roscosmos news a space station. In 1995 he was assigned release states. to take part in the ESA-Russian Eu- The agreement is part of the pack- romir mission to the Mir Space Station, age of bilateral deals between Roskos- along with Russian colleagues Yuri mos-NASA and NASA-ESA. Gidzenko and Sergei Avdeev. He Thomas Reiter will become the first worked at Mir as an on-board engineer ESA astronaut to join the ISS long- for a record-breaking 179-day term. duration crew. He will reach the ISS on During the expedition he performed Space Shuttle flight STS-121, and return some 40 European scientific experi- to Earth on STS-116 (Editor’s note: The ments and participated in the mainte- Shuttle return to flight date recently nance of the Mir Space Station, includ- slipped to July by NASA will obviously ing two spacewalks to install and later impact the timeframe of T. Reiter’s mis- retrieve cassettes from the European sion) . Space Exposure Facility experiments. (MosNews, April 27) News from Moscow No. 8/2005 Page 10

Cooperation

Alcatel To Establish A JV With NPO PM To Bring Russian Satellites To Global Market he Reshetnev Research and things that are attractive for Europeans T Production Association of Ap- in the Russian space industry: cheap plied Mechanics (NPO PM) and Alcatel labor, well-developed production facili- Space company intend to establish a joint ties and the chance to gain a foothold on venture to build satellites. The Russian the Russian market. The latter factor is association will be given access to modern mutually advantageous. Alcatel may R&D work and the French company will help promote Russian satellites abroad. have the opportunity to use cheap labor. The Western satellite market is small In addition, the magazine Biznes reports, and highly technological, and it is im- the alliance will guarantee Russian satel- possible to emerge on it without the lites access to the tough global satellite help of a big player, experts note. market. The alliance with the Reshetnev The details of the contract have not Association will allow Alcatel to cut the been revealed, but experts are said to be- cost of satellites by 10-12% (a standard lieve that it focuses on building Express- satellite costs $100-150 million). By AM telecommunication satellites. some estimates, there is a general global “Reshetnev and Alcatel have been demand for 12 to 20 new satellites a cooperating on developing new- year. “We do not expect that the load for generation satellites for five years,” a of the association's capacities will in- competent source in Russia’s space in- crease many times over,” the source dustry said. “The Russian company is de- said. “But, on the whole, the new joint veloping a ‘platform’ (a propulsion sys- venture is definitely a positive develop- tem ensuring a satellite’s guidance in or- ment for Russia.” bit), and Alcatel is building a payload for Director-general of NPO PM Al- transmitting radio signals.” bert Kozlov said in an interview that When the joint venture is estab- Russian lawyers at present study the lished, Russia, in the opinion of experts, draft constituent documents of the joint will have access to modern technologies venture. The agreement on establishing and designs. “Of course, Alcatel will not the venture is expected to be signed share its latest ideas with us, but it is during the international aerospace show quite possible that we will get the results in Le Bourget in France in June, he of its research from four of five years said. ago,” the source said. There are a few (RIA Novosti, April 26, )

EADS-Tesat/RNII KP Joint Venture

he Russian Federal Space “Head of Roscosmos Anatoly T Agency will set up a joint ven- Perminov discussed at talks with co- ture with a European company and take president of EADS concern Philippe part in the trial of a European shuttle, the Camus today the question of signing agency’s press secretary Vyacheslav founding documents on the creation of Davidenko told Itar-Tass. a joint venture between the Rus- News from Moscow No. 8/2005 Page 11

sian Research Institute of Instru- “Roscosmos has recently agreed to ment-Making (RNII KP) and a participate in work to carry out drop daughter firm of EADS - Tesat (see tests at supersonic velocities of the NFM 11/2004 for more details). It is European craft Phoenix-2”, he said. planned to sign the documents next Phoenix, a prototype of the future week,” Davidenko said. cargo shuttle, was first tested in Sweden This year marks a kind of a jubilee - a year ago. three years of relations the Russian space The craft was launched from a agency and the European concern. helicopter at a 2,400-meter height and “The filling of the joint cooperation landed after a 90 second flight precisely program with new projects has been go- in a target area. ing all these years,” Davidenko said. (Itar-Tass, April 22)

Kazakhstan And Russia To Develop New Satellite Launch- ing System

azakhstan and Russia have Named after a river which flows K agreed on the development of through Kazakhstan’s Capital, Astana, a new civil satellite launching system us- into Russia, the Ishim space missile ing the Mig-31s Fighter and the Ishim uses a solid-fuel engine which limits the missile as a platform from which to use of toxic elements used in classic launch payloads of up to 200 kg into low launchers. earth orbits. Mr. Solomonov is very bullish According to the Prime Minister of about the proposed Russo-Kazakh pro- Kazakhstan, Danial Akhmetov, Ka- gram: “We have planes, airfields and zakhstan and Russia are studying the de- our institute can in a short time design velopment of a small “space rocket” and manufacture the new rocket.” launching system Ishim using a super- The program is expected to cost sonic Mig-31 jet fighter. $1.5 billion over the next 15 years. Having detached from the carrier Prime Minister Akhmetov has in- aircraft, the small missile reaches a structed state agencies to undertake a higher altitude and puts a small 160- comprehensive feasibility study before kilogram space vehicle into a low earth undertaking the realization of the pro- orbit. gram itself. Last March, Prime Minister Akhme- Such a program has extreme po- tov met with the chief designer at the tential in offering a very low-cost civil Moscow MIT Institute of Thermal Engi- launch system. This is but the latest step neering (developers of the Ishim missile), taken in bilateral Russio-Kazakh coop- Yuri Solomonov, to discuss this new eration in space technology. launch complex. Noting the timeliness of the civil The Mig-31s would take off, carry- satellites launching complex being cre- ing the Ishim missile with its payload, ated, experts believe that in the follow- launch the space missile at between ing 15 years, the respective services 25,000m and 30,000m. The Ishim would market can attract up to $1,5 billion. then deliver the payload into low orbit. Prime Minister Akhmetov pointed News from Moscow No. 8/2005 Page 12

out that “the new Ishim complex is to en- participating in the project – see NFM Spe- rich the Kazakhstan space program being cial Issue 12/1999). developed” and commissioned to proceed Cooperation on the Baiterek launch system with the work to create the Ishim launch- also develops. In a recent press release ing complex. Roscosmos announced that the launch pad (SPX, April 21) of Site 200 (ex-Proton) and the technical facility at Site 92 will be used for the Baiterek Editor’s note: The project dates back to 1997 ground infrastructure for launching Angara. when MiG Air Industry Complex announced The prime contractor is KB OM. Cosmonaut the development of a system to launch satel- Talgat Musabayev has been appointed lites from MiG-31 carrier aircraft, a civilian Director General of the Kazakh firm Baiterek option of the abandoned Soviet ASAT system. with the office in Astana. It is also planned The Academy of Science of Kazakhstan was to open a representative office in Moscow

Planetary Research

Venus Express Project Team in Baikonur

n April 10-14, 2005, O the Venus Express ESA project team and the industrial contractors paid a visit to Baikonur for the Preliminary Cosmodrome Readiness Review. This is part of the preparation for the Venus Express launch campaign starting early August this year for the launch of the ESA scientific mission to Venus on board a Russian-made Soyuz launcher in October. Venus Ex- press is following the path of Mars Express successfully launched by Soyuz in 2003 (see NFM 10/2003). Photo: NFM The “Express” method of development has pioneered a more economic way to build a space science mission at ESA. The new working methods planetology context and notably for un- have proved effective and are applied derstanding the long-term climatic evo- again for Venus Express. Let us hope that lution processes on Earth. A Venus Ex- the “express” way of putting space science press mission based on quasi-existing missions on track will be used again in payload and the re-use of an existing the Agency’s long-term scientific pro- spacecraft provides a golden opportu- gram. nity to the European science commu- Beyond the specific Venus mission nity. objectives, the resolution of Venus issues is of crucial importance in a comparative Cosmodrome Readiness News from Moscow No. 8/2005 Page 13

The team did not find many changes to the Baikonur facilities since the launch campaign of Mars Ex- press in summer 2003. The Starsem clean rooms, - Pay- load Processing Facility (PPF), Hazardous Processing Facility (HPF) and Upper Composite Integration Facil- ity (UCIF) are maintained at a good level by means of regular visits of the Clemes- sey team. The parameters of the clean rooms are maintained at: - class 100 000; - ambient temperature ad- Photo: NFM justable from 17 to 23oC, aged Lanes 1 and 2 that accommodates set point 20oC; the STARSEM clean rooms. The roof - relative humidity adjustable from 30 above Lane 3 is being rebuilt and the to 60%, set point 45%. wrecks will be cleaned away to give The Customer’s offices are clean and place to the new activities of TsSKB- ready to accommodate the team. Progress and Roscosmos (the details MIK 112 that hosts the Starsem have not been disclosed). Lane 4 that clean facilities has undergone a few hosted the unlucky Energia, with the changes. Belonging to TsSKB-Progress, only flown Buran on top of it, is lying in Samara, the manufacturer of the Soyuz ruins unlikely to be rebuilt. launcher, the building was severely dam- The huge Lane 1 that stayed aged by an accident a few years ago (see mostly empty during the past years is NFM Special Issue 8/2002). Since then a now crowded with hardware produced partition has been erected between the in Samara. Since recently, part of the ruins of Lanes 3 and 4, and the undam- lane is used to integrate the Soyuz launchers for non- commercial programs (the Soyuz for Starsem launches is still integrated in MIK 40). At the time of the visit Lane 1 accommodated the fully ready for the roll-out Soyuz launcher under the ISS program (successfully launched on April 15), and separate stages of Soyuz for the Re- surs-DK Earth observation satellite to be launched later this year. The Resurs-DK satellite is standing close by ready for pre-launch testing. The other part of the Lane 1 is now taken by the Foton-M Photo: NFM News from Moscow No. 8/2005 Page 14 program. Behind a green military tent, flights Moscow-Baikonur per the preparations for the launch of Foton- week, two of them are Karat M No.2 scheduled for May 31 are on- flights from Vnukovo on Tuesday going. Due to this recent change the stor- and Friday as in the past, the third age area that is used by Starsem’s cus- one is performed by Perm Airlines tomers has been moved to Lane 2, close from the new Domodedovo airport to the UCIF. on Thursday. Apart from improved connections in • the Clintondale charter flight is the control rooms, we have not found any available on request from ESA; modifications either in the clean rooms or • the bicycles available at the Sput- in the control rooms of the bunker and nik Hotel to cycle downtown are the catacomb, if compared to the previous not in good shape, but will be re- Mars Express launch campaign. Hazard- paired by the time of the Venus ous operations are now monitored and Express campaign. controlled from a single site located in the The visit of the ESA project team non-restricted area. and contractors was performed in the From the logistical point of view, the spirit of friendliness and warm reminis- set-up is the same as for previous ESA cences of ESA launch campaigns in campaigns from Baikonur. A few points Baikonur. to note are: (By Tatyana Suslova, ESA Permanent • currently, there are three regular Mission in RF)