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Editorial: Cosmo-nots Russia's economic woes are as high as the sky Saturday, October 03, 1998
It was only a matter of time before the far-reaching ramifications of Russia's financial crunch rocketed to outer space. The money shortage is so severe in Moscow that bills are piling up at the Russian equivalent of NASA, putting cosmonauts, orbiting spacecraft and future international endeavors in a distressing holding pattern that could endanger more than the country's prestige.
The growing financial woes of the once-proud space agency threaten to undermine its long, admirable mission of research and space exploration. It has been reduced to canceling or postponing joint efforts with American scientists because it's broke.
Russian space officials recently announced that the launch date for the last manned flight to the Mir space station is now uncertain. The spaceship that was to send a crew of French, Slovak and Russian astronauts to the station was being built when the Russian economy went into a tailspin. Suppliers to the space agency who haven't been paid are withholding components needed to construct the spaceship.
While financial problems have grounded the last crew to fly to Mir, the stranded group of researchers aboard the space station continues to patch the 12-year-old spacecraft and wonder when Moscow will be able to bankroll their return home. They are slated to abandon Mir in June when the agenda calls for the problem-plagued station to finally burn up in the Earth's atmosphere. Space agency officials say they're confident that time frameThe Russians also have been slow to deliver their share of the costs and equipment needed to fashion the new International Space Station. Moreover, space officials say their role in manning the station will have to be delayed a bit, perhaps by half a year, until they can compensate Russian manufacturers who've probably worked on the project without pay for months.
Technical marvels are incredible tools for scientific advancement, but they can't fly on a wing and a prayer. Right now, Russia can't even afford to launch a promise.
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