Space Station Launch Delayed

The long-delayed International Space Station project has been postponed again due to flaws in a booster rocket, while Russia’s Mir space station may get a new lease on life, space officials said. The launch of the crucial crew compartment for the multibillion-dollar, 16-nation space station had long been behind schedule because of the Russian government’s failure to provide funds for the module’s manufacture. Then, when the compartment was almost ready, two crashes of Proton booster rockets pushed officials to postpone the launch again. Meanwhile, Russia’s antiquated Mir space station may remain in orbit for longer than planned, said Sergei K. Gromov, spokesman for the Energiya company that built Mir. Gromov said a two-man crew is now set to blast off March 30. Its mission would last at least 45 days. Gromov said Energiya is looking to a U.S. company, Golden Apple, to save Mir.