News: Astronaut; Russian space agency made many mistakes - Pravda

Astronaut: Russian space agency made many mistakes

Pravda - 15:40 2003-07-30

http://newsfromrussia.com/main/2003/07/30/48966.html

Pilot-Astronaut Georgy Grechko sharply criticized the position of
Russian aeronautics recently. On Tuesday he visited the Mordovian
capital of Saransk, and conducted an Internet press conference.

He said that in the last 20 years Russian space agency directors have
made 'great mistakes' in working out a strategy of development of
domestic cosmonautics. 'We didn't handle the Mir orbiting station
correctly, at the beginning we repaired it and then we wrecked it,
though it could have served the country for several more years,' he
said.

Answering a question about the weak financing for cosmonautics,
Grechko said that all the material problems connected with the
national space program could be decided by selling space technology.
With this lucrative source of financing, we could build a new orbiting
station Mir-2; however, the wrong decision was made to reduce the
national space program in favour of Russia's participation in
international space projects.

'As a result, the level of domestic cosmonautics has become strongly
dependent on the US,' he said. Grechko also said that soon 'Russia's
place in space will be taken most likely by the Chinese who are
quickly developing a national space agency of their own.'

"Craig Dunsville" wrote in message
news:am9obmNvbGQ=.89a3e256579fd84595af24041bedf795 @1059695286.cotse.net...
Russian space agency made many mistakes

No kidding. They allowed one of their cosmonauts to be heard by ham
radio operators screaming like a girl when his capsule melted on re-
entry. Astronauts are supposed to be heroes. No one wants to be able
to hear them in agony, squealing and screaming like women.

And exactly which cosmonaut would this one be?

"Greg D. Moore (Strider)" wrote in message
...

"Craig Dunsville" wrote in message
news:am9obmNvbGQ=.89a3e256579fd84595af24041bedf795 @1059695286.cotse.net...
Russian space agency made many mistakes

No kidding. They allowed one of their cosmonauts to be heard by ham
radio operators screaming like a girl when his capsule melted on re-
entry. Astronauts are supposed to be heroes. No one wants to be able
to hear them in agony, squealing and screaming like women.

And exactly which cosmonaut would this one be?

I guess, Craig mentioned V. Komarov, who died during reentry in 1967 (?)
But as far as I know, the fact that Komarov was screaming is just a
rumour...

Recently, one of russian TV channels presented a short chronicle about
early soviet manned space programs, and they also replayed the last words
that Komarov said. It was something like "It's hot! I am in flame!". These
words were not really kind of "girl's-like" or "woman's-like", there was
a big noise in background and it is difficult to identify even the voice,
not the intonation.

There were LOTs of problems during that flight, from start till finish.
Actually, that was the flight of Soyuz-1, the spacecraft that is known as
very reliable now.

But, maybe, Craig told about someone else?