Space Station Links Up With Russian Module

K O R O L Y O V, Russia, July 26 -- Opening what exultant space officialscalled a new era in space, the long-delayed international spacestation linked up smoothly today with the Russian-made Zvezdacontrol module.

The crucial module will allow the first crew to start living andworking in the station this autumn. It also will provide steeringcontrols, as well as adjusting the station’s orbit and distributingelectricity.

Russian space officials, including several cosmonauts, anxiouslymonitored the automatic docking on a large screen at MissionControl in Korolyov, just outside Moscow. Applause rippled throughthe hall once the linkup was achieved, and beamingtechnicians shook hands all around and gave each other thumbs-upsigns.

‘Astonishing Achievement’

“Speaking from the NASA side, this is an astonishingachievement, something we’ve been waiting for quite some time,”said Robert Castle, a NASA liaison at Russian Mission Control.“This is the beginning of a new era in space.”

The international space station is running two years behindschedule, and already has gone $3 billion over budget because ofproblems on the Russian side that raised questions about Moscow’sreliability as a partner. Zvezda was the first module to be builtsolely by the Russians.

Russian space officials tried to put that all behind them today.

“I want to wish you all that we will see such events happenagain without any more delays,” said Yuri Semyonov, head of thestate RKK Energiya company, which built the module.

Russian Aerospace Agency chief Yuri Koptev used the occasion topress for more state funding, noting that the government hadprovided only about 30 percent of the money needed for each launch.

“This event shows that Russia is still strong and developing asa superpower and the government should support us,” he said atKorolyov.

‘We Can Work Together’

He also saluted his NASA colleagues and expressed hope that thetwo space agencies would continue to cooperate. The successfullinkup “is yet more proof that we can work together,” he toldNASA administrator Daniel Goldin over a speakerphone.