Mon, May 12, 2003
Russia Slams Door On NASA In Off-Target Landing Probe
NASA experts won't be involved in Russia's investigation into
why the Soyuz TMA-2 space capsule was almost 300 miles off target
after an especially rough, virtualy uncontrolled re-entry.
Software Glitch?
The Soyuz capsule, sent to retrieve ISS-6 crewmembers Nikolai
Budarin and Americans Kenneth Bowersox and Donald Pettit, was on
its first-ever manned mission. It was pressed into early service
after the Columbia tragedy Feb. 1 left the three otherwise stranded
aboard the International Space Station.
Last week's announcement differed with a statement
from NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe, who met with Russian space
agency chief Yuri Koptev and then announced the US space agency
would indeed take part in the investigation. Nikolai Zelenshchikov,
who will head the Russian investigation in the off-course Soyuz
landing May 4, told the ITAR-Tass News Agency he'll have the
answers his government wants within two weeks - without help from
NASA.
Zelenshchikov, head of the Russian company RKK Energiya, which
makes the Soyuz TMA-2, said including NASA officials in the
investigation "would create difficulties" in the Russian
commission's work. After all, he said, NASA didn't invite Russian
experts to help in the Columbia shuttle disaster investigation.
Then again, no Russians were among the six Americans and one
Israeli killed when the shuttle disintegrated over Texas.
"We will definitely inform our American colleagues about the
results of the work and will give them full information, but for
now we have nothing to give," Zelenshchikov told ITAR-Tass.
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