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 MirCorp,
Amsterdam, is in the process of raising up to US$100 million in a
new round of funding. The additional funds would allow continued
commercial operations of the work on the Mir space station through
an initial public offering (IPO) of stock planned for late
2001.
If
the money can be raised, the next flight to Mir will take place
this fall with Pavel Vinogradov and Salizhan Sharipov flying to
the station, most likely in November. MirCorp has plans to fly a
"citizen explorer", or space tourist, on the fall
flight. The second flight would be followed by a third in early
2001, with the backup crew for the second flight, Talgat Musabayev
and Yuri Baturin, expected to fly to Mir then. That third flight
would initiate the beginning of "full-scale commercial
operations" on the station.
MirCorp
has a three-phase, ten-year plan for commercial use of Mir. The
first phase, lasting through 2002, is to stabilize the station and
prevent it from falling into disrepair. The second phase, through
2005, would upgrade portions of the station, including adding new
solar panels and high-speed communications links. The third phase,
lasting through 2010, would include the replacement of the core
module of the station and the possible addition or replacement of
other modules.
MirCorp
is studying the use of a tether to maintain the station's orbit, a
system that could save up to one Progress cargo spacecraft flight
a year. Work on the
Mir Electrodynamic Tether System (METS), by Tethers Applications,
is proceeding, having received U.S. State Department approval, and
the system could fly as soon as this December.
Copyright 2001 - Andrews Space & Technology
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