Section A · Page 9
The University Daily Kansan
World
Wednesday, April 5. 2000
Russians to tend to Mir's troubles
The Associated Press
MOSCOW — Two cosmonauts blasted off yesterday for the Mir space station on a mission to resuscitate the 14-year-old craft, which until recently had appeared in danger of being scrapped.
The Mir has circled Earth unoccupied for eight months, since the cash-strapped Russian space agency recalled the last crew in August, having run out of resources to continue manned missions.
The station was to be decommissioned around the end of March and dropped from its orbit to burn in the atmosphere, with any remaining pieces plunging into the ocean.
That fate was averted when Amsterdam-based MirCorp agreed to pay between $10 million and $20 million to lease commercial rights to the station. The Mir's descent was postponed indefinitely.
The MirCorp deal came after a succession of failed, but colorful proposals, to finance the craft's continued operation, including a plan to film scenes on board for a movie about a renegade cosmonaut.
MirCorp has said it was considering various ventures aboard the Mir, including opening it up for well-heeled tourists. Under the agreement, Mir remains Russian-owned and available for Russian scientific use.
A Soyuz rocket launched without a hitch yesterday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakstan, carrying cosmonauts Sergel Zalyotin and Alexander Kaleri toward the Mir, said Vera Medvedkova, a Mission Control spokeswoman.
Within 10 minutes, the rocket reached its orbit and began circling the Earth, Medvedkova said. It was expected to take the Soyuz capsule until tomorrow to adjust its orbit to the Mir's.
The docking will be carried out by autopilot, but the two cosmonauts will steer the capsule manually if problems arise.
Once inside the station, Zalyotin and Kaleri will first try to plug a small air leak that developed last summer. They also are expected to go on a spacewalk to conduct several scientific experiments. Their mission is to last 60 days.
The space agency's insistence on keeping the Miraloft has angered the United States and other partners in the International Space Station project, which is now about two years behind schedule because of Russia's failure to build key segments on time.
Japan's Cabinet swiftly resigns
The Associated Press
TOKYO — Japan's entire Cabinet resigned yesterday, paving the way for the quick selection of a ruling party stalwart to replace Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, on life support after suffering a massive stroke.
Yoshiro Mori, secretary-general of the Liberal Democrats, was expected to be named prime minister today, and a new Cabinet could be installed by the end of the day.
Government ministers promised yesterday to move swiftly and avoid a political vacuum after Obuchi's collapse. The 62-year-old prime minister suffered a stroke Sunday and laid into a coma.
"It is regrettable that the leader of the government fell ill ... in such difficult times both at home and abroad," the ministers said. "We are determined to do our best."
With Obuchi's Liberal Democratic Party firmly in control of parliament, the changes were not expected to bring any major shift in political or economic policies. A new Cabinet most likely will be the same as the old, with only the top spot changed.
Mori, 62, the second-highest official in the LDP, has a reputation as a conservative and analysts
Obuchi; Remains on life support after suffering a stroke
said he would come under considerable pressure to continue Obuchi's initiatives.
Obuchu was being kept alive on a respirator in a Tokyo hospital, where he was reportedly joined by his wife, three children and brother. Officials said it was clear he would not be able to resume his duties.
After two days of keeping a tight lid on information about Obuchi's condition or the possibility of replacing him, the government sought yesterday to quickly move through the formal process for a successor.
The Cabinet resignation was the first step. Next, LDP members in parliament are to vote this morning on a party president to replace Obuchi, LDP officials said.
The party president would then be put up for the approval of parliament as prime minister this afternoon — which is assured because of the LDP's majority.
Party members said the natural choice would be Mori, a former journalist and veteran politician with a solid power base.
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>>//posted to www.contiki.com 08-14-99
>>So I've been back for a week now and miss all you guys terribly. I'll post the pics of all of us soon. Can't believe we did so much and still had leftover cash...what a great deal!!!! Glad we had our fearless tour leader Scotty to guide us in the right direction with no hassles!!!! Reunion in 2000...I vote for South Africa! Keep in touch, all my new mates, at contiki.com Love Robbo xxxxxxxxxx
>>Backpacking my ASSSSSS!! If I tried it on my own I'd still be looking for the train station!!
this sort of thing sometimes happens to people who travel with us.
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