SPACE FLIGHT 1999
Russian Space Activities
Despite the unabated slump in national economy and continuing political uncertainties, Russia in 1999 showed no slack in its space operations from 1998. Its total of 26 successful launches (out of 28 attempts) was actually two more than the previous year's 24 (out of 25 attempts): 12 Soyuz-U (one crewed), nine Protons (two failures), one Zenit-2, two Molniyas, one Tsiklon-2 (modified from the former intercontinental ballistic missile [ICBM] SS-9), two Kosmos-3Ms, and one Dniepr (converted from the former ICBM SS-18, as required by the START 2 treaty).
Though better financed than in 1998, Russia's space program still was forced to abandon the Mir space station in August when its owner, RSC-Energia, found itself unable to fund continued crewed operation of the station. This left the station without a crew for the first time since a short uncrewed period ten years earlier.
In its partnership with the U.S. in the development of the International Space Station (ISS), integration and checkout testing continued on the Russian-built and -owned Service Module Zvezda (Star), the long-awaited third building-block of the ISS built by Khrunichev Space Center, at the checkout facilities of RSC-Energia at the Moscow suburb of Korolov (formerly Kaliningrad). An important milestone in the ISS Program was reached and passed when the 20-ton Zvezda was placed on a railroad container car and joined to a train pulled by three locomotives which also carried its Proton fairing, solar arrays, various ground support equipment and a Proton rocket. The transport left Moscow early in the morning of 5/13, accompanied by eight security people, and arrived in the night of 5/19 at its destination, the launch complex of Baikonur in the independent republic of Kazakhstan, beyond the Urals Mountains in central Asia. Launch at that time was expected not earlier than November 1999, but the date later slipped well into 2000.
Questions or comments? Send a message to Jesco von Puttkamer
 Shuttle Web |
 International Space Station Web |
 Hubble Space Telescope Photographs |  OSF Web |