In article ,
"Jorge R. Frank" wrote:

Pat Flannery wrote in
:



JimO wrote:

Russia's Secret: Did Space Station Nearly Die The Day It Was Born?

From the article:
"The module was the FGB, Russian for “Functional Cargo Block,”
code-named “Zarya.” Based on a design flown before (including one
spectacular Russian space station failure in May 1987 that the
Russians had not told NASA about), the hardware was part of the
military side of the Russian program and had special high-security
radio links with Earth." Does this refer to Polyus?

Yes. The FGB was used as the orbit insertion/maneuvering stage for Polyus.

Interestingly, at the tail end of Space Station Freedom, as it was
morphing through Space Station Alpha on it's way to ISS, the final
"restructure/rephase" was to consider the option of using a
Lockheed-designed "service module" to perform the task later given to
FGB. It was not divulged how and why Lockheed had designed such a
module nor were we encouraged to ask; it was enough that we were told:
"It works and this is what it can do . . ." Obviously (moreso now than
in the summer of 1993), this was a core vehicle used for various
classified NRO payloads that NASA was essentially begging for permission
to use for early attitude and orbital control. It's unclear if NRO
simply refused or if they place so many roadblocks in the way of its use
that NASA was forced to go to the Russians on this aspect of the program.

Anyway, just another tidbit from the dusty archives of SSF/ISS trivia I
carry around with me . . .

--
Herb Schaltegger, B.S., J.D.
Reformed Aerospace Engineer
Columbia Loss FAQ:
http://www.io.com/~o_m/columbia_loss_faq_x.html