RI's 'Mir' cosmonaut plan idle<\/p>\n
MOSCOW (Agencies): Indonesia, which two months ago began
\nnegotiations with the Russian space agency RKA to put a cosmonaut
\non the Russian orbital space station Mir, has abandoned the
\nproject, Itar-Tass news agency reported yesterday.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian government gave no reason for its change of
\nplan, according to an RKA official, but the Russian space agency
\nassumed that financial problems were the cause.<\/p>\n
According to AFP, the Russian news agency reported that a
\nseven to 10-day stay on board Mir entails a bill of some US$12
\nmillion for foreign space agencies who send up an astronaut.<\/p>\n
To this must be added $8 million for the pre-trip training on
\nearth of the chosen candidate and his stand-in, the agency said.<\/p>\n
RKA has been operating Mir for 12 years and hopes to keep its
\npride and joy working until the end of the millennium.<\/p>\n
A U.S. astronaut, David Wolf, is currently aboard the space
\nstation, and a Frenchman, Leopold Eyharts, is due to head for it
\non Jan. 29.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile in Jakarta, R. Sunaryo, an advisor on aerospace
\naffairs for the State Minister for Research and Technology, could
\nnot confirm the cancellation.<\/p>\n
\"I still have no official word about this,\" he said as quoted
\nby Antara.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ris-mir-cosmonaut-plan-idle-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}