Soviets Offer 3rd World Space-Launch Bargain

The Soviet Union offered Monday to provide bargain space launches for Third World countries as part of a new profit-making service.

Premier Nikolai I. Ryzhkov outlined the proposal in an interview with the official Soviet news agency Tass. He said that spacecraft from other countries would be exempt from Soviet customs and allowed to travel in sealed trucks to the launching site in the Central Asian desert.

The Soviets, acting to fill a gap caused by failures with the American space shuttle Challenger and European launch vehicles, offered several carriers for space research and commercial purposes.

“It is against our principles to cash in on others’ errors and setbacks,” Ryzhkov said. “Our proposal for launches of foreign spacecraft by Soviet carriers has been prompted by a desire to advance space exploration and use Soviet rockets and other space technology . . . efficiently.”

But the Soviet Union, he added, must operate within the laws of the space technology marketplace, and it is “only natural that we expect some gains.”

‘Substantial Discounts’

In a special appeal to the less developed nations of Asia, Africa and Latin America, Ryzhkov said that “when orbiting spacecraft for developing countries, the Soviet Union is prepared to grant them substantial discounts.” Also, he said, Soviet financial organizations can insure payloads that will be boosted into orbit.

Ryzhkov said he was addressing the Soviet invitation to all countries, without exception.

He rejected Western suggestions that the Kremlin is offering to lift satellites and other spacecraft into orbit to get a look at advanced Western technology.

“The world has been able to see on more than one occasion that Soviet scientists and designers can develop, and do develop, most advanced equipment which is at least on a par with the best foreign systems,” he said.

Moscow, he said, is willing to sign commercial contracts with other governments or private organizations. And he signaled his government’s willingness to relax its traditional suspicion and ease some secrecy barriers to help the new program along.

‘Guarantees of Safety’

“I can declare officially,” he said, “that Soviet state agencies will give the clients the necessary guarantees of safety for their spacecraft throughout their stay in the territory of the Soviet Union--from the moment they cross the border until the boost-off.

“We are prepared to exempt the equipment intended for a space launch from inspection by the customs and permit its passage across Soviet territory to the cosmodrome in a sealed container, if this is more convenient for the client.

“Foreign specialists will be able to escort their spacecraft and watch it being transported and installed on a carrier rocket. It goes without saying that representatives of the client will be allowed into the corresponding cosmodrome.”

Ryzhkov said that clients of the service should not lose any technological secrets or suffer any financial harm as a result of using a Soviet space vehicle.

He said clients may choose a rocket of the Proton class, the triple-stage Soyuz or the single-stage Vertikal.

“Another possibility,” he said, is “mounting foreign instruments on Soviet satellites and space stations.” He mentioned specifically the space station Mir, which has six docking ports for spacecraft weighing up to 21 tons each.