U.S. May Launch Own Module for Space Station

NASA administrator Daniel S. Goldin said the U.S. will launch its own service module to the International Space Station late this year if Russia fails to put up a module by summer.

Goldin, in an interview with journalists Thursday, said he hopes the Russians, who are more than a year behind schedule, will complete and launch a service module to the space station by July. But if they fail, he said, the U.S. will be ready.

The Russian part of the space station initially fell behind schedule because the government failed to provide the funds to meet the commitment. The effort was further delayed by two recent failures of Proton rockets, the launcher the Russians will use to put the modules in orbit.

Also, the Russians have diverted some equipment that was supposed to go to the space station for use in maintaining the aged Mir space station.

Goldin said that he is waiting to see if the Russians are serious about fixing the Proton and then launching the service module before the U.S. puts the final touches on an American service module. He said the Russians will have a launch readiness review later this month.

“We want to see if they have a fire in the belly about getting the service module up,” said the National Aeronautics and Space Administration chief.

Goldin said that if Russia has not launched the service module by July, then NASA will do the final work on its own service module and launch it by December.

“We want the Russians to be there, but we felt we had to be responsible custodians to keep the program on track,” he said.

The U.S. service module will cost $200 million when it is finished and in place on the space station.

Goldin said that, even if the Russians do launch their service module, the U.S. module will still be useful.

The multibillion-dollar International Space Station is a joint effort by 16 nations, with the U.S. taking the lead role.