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Russia Official Hails Discovery Launch

Posted on: Tuesday, 26 July 2005, 21:25 CDT

MOSCOW - Spirits soared at the Russian space agency as the U.S. space shuttle Discovery blasted off Tuesday, 2 1/2 years after the shuttle program's shutdown placed a heavy burden on Russia.

With the U.S. program grounded since early 2003 after the disintegration of shuttle Columbia, Russian spacecraft have been the only way to get men and supplies to the international space station. That put stress on Russia, whose space program suffers from perpetual funding problems.

"The renewal of regular flights by American shuttles gives the possibility of returning a permanent full crew of three to work on the ISS," Roskosmos agency chief Anatoly Perminov was quoted as saying by the ITAR-Tass news agency shortly after the Discovery reached orbit.

"Furthermore, it will be somewhat easier to supply the ISS with life-ensuring goods," he said.

After the shuttle program was grounded, supplies were sent to the ISS largely by unmanned Russian Progress cargo ships. Two-man crews were sent to the ISS every six months aboard Soyuz spacecraft, which are more cramped than the shuttles.

There was excitement about the launch across Europe and Asia.

Drums pounded and hundreds of hometown well-wishers roared with joy as the Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi took off with six other astronauts. Noguchi, 40, is the sixth Japanese astronaut to go into space.

"We are praying for you," said Nobuaki Hattori, mayor of Chigasaki, a coastal city just south of Tokyo. "Mr. Noguchi, good luck!"

When the launch was officially declared a success, the hall was filled "banzai" cheers and the crackling of firecrackers.

In Amsterdam, Daniel Sacotte, director of manned exploration for the European Space Agency called the liftoff "fantastically smooth. ... It looked to be over-prepared, even. It gave the impression of something that was totally ready to fly."

The ESA has sent astronauts to the ISS aboard Soyuz capsules for stays of about 10 days during the space shuttles' hiatus, returning to Earth with the crew departing the station.

Patrice Brudieu, international affairs manager of the French Centre National d'Etudes Spaciales in Paris, cautioned that the successful launch is only a first step in ensuring the viability of the shuttle program.

"We need two completed missions to be able to consider the shuttle up and running again," Brudieu said.

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Associated Press writers Eric Talmadge in Chigasaki, Japan, and Jenny Barchfield in Paris contributed to this report.

Source: Associated Press/AP Online

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