The United States and Russia were engaged in intense consultations during the second half of the year to resolve the problems from the abrupt slowdown of work on the ISS after the Columbia disaster in February 2003.
The Americans' sincerity is unquestioned especially because Mr. Perminov said, "those involved in the previous meetings in Amsterdam and Vancouver slept literally no more than two hours a day trying to revise the ISS program." In other words, the two leading space powers are fully aware of their responsibility for the unique international venture.
Sixteen countries are involved in the ISS project including Russia the US, European Space Agency (ESA) countries, Japan, Canada and Brazil. The station began to be assembled in orbit on November 20, 1998. Today, the 183 metricton space station consists of the Russian Zarya multifunctional cargo module, the Zvezda service module, and the Pirs docking compartment, and the American Unity connecting module, the Destiny laboratory and the Quest lock chamber. In its four years in service, 107 people have been to the station.
After the Columbia disaster, Russia assumed the full burden of crew rotation and cargo delivery to the station.
Naturally, the under funded industry could not simultaneously maintain a manned station and the high standards of orbital studies. As a result, many programs were postponed and the crew was reduced to two, the absolute minimum.
It is no secret that the ISS program was planned assuming the full-scale use of the shuttle. The shuttle was expected to be used for routine tasks and construction of the station, which is expected to be finished in 2011, the year shuttles are decommissioned. In this context, no offence should be taken to Russian space officials repeatedly raising the issue of the resumption of shuttle flights.
Aside from the transportation problem, there are, or rather were, financial disagreements too.
Russia incurred a $60 million debt to the United States for help launching the Russian segment of the station into orbit. The debt was to be repaid in man-hours of working time in orbit. On the other hand, Russia's contractual obligations to fly American astronauts to the station in Soyuz spacecraft expire next year.
The sleepless nights at Amsterdam and Vancouver produced a Solomon-like decision, a barter arrangement designed to settle both parties' economic claims. Next year, according to the arrangement, the US will write off Russia's man-hour debt in exchange for Russia flying American astronauts in its spacecraft for free for another year.
A different arrangement will be used in 2006 to allow Russia to implement Roskosmos's program to finish construction of the Russian segment of the station.
Nikolai Moiseyev, the Federal Space Agency's deputy head, said, "the Russian segment will be finished in 2011. In 2007, a Russian Proton launch vehicle will place a multipurpose FGB-2 laboratory module into orbit, in 2009 an American shuttle will deliver a power and research platform to the ISS, and in 2011 a Proton will launch another scientific module."
Russia and the US have demonstrated in practice their desire to continue the ISS program. Mr. Perminov appreciated the gesture made by Mr. O'Keefe, who decided to sacrifice a pleasant pre-Christmas bustle for his partner.
"The Americans have already done a tremendous amount of work to analyze the causes of the disaster," Mr. Perminov said, "make the necessary decisions and modernize the shuttles. They simply run out of time and sometimes, funds. But in this case, the risks are unacceptable. Can you imagine what happens if they fail? Then the American part of the ISS program will just fall apart! I understand Sean's point perfectly and am grateful to him for his wish to do everything possible for the successful resumption of flights."
Indeed, failures cannot be avoided in any endeavor. Even if there are new setbacks in the space shuttle program, Mr. Perminov is positive about the outlook for the ISS. In his opinion, more participants with specific projects and even more potential participants will be attracted to the program anyway. For example, the ESA's projects have high potential, especially the joint Russian-European Kliper program.
This European project is a technically unique Russian achievement. The next generation reusable launch vehicle being developed under this program is a huge advancement compared to the 3-seat Soyuz. The Kliper is a shuttle that can carry a maximum of 7 passengers and orbit a payload of up to 7 metric tons. In Mr. Perminov's opinion, with the ESA's financial support, the Kliper could make regular flights after 2012. However it is December 2004 and Soyuz workhorses and, hopefully, the space shuttles fly to the ISS.
