Sensenbrenner Speaks Out on Mir Space Station Collision
The following text is a quote of House Science Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner’s (R-Wisconsin) remarks on June 25 regarding that morning’s collision of an unmanned resupply vehicle with the Russian MIR space station, which is carrying one American astronaut and two cosmonauts.
* * * * * This morning we awoke to find that the lives of a U.S. astronaut, Michael Foale, and 2 Russian cosmonauts on Mir were in danger. A Progress resupply vehicle crashed into the Spektr module of the Mir Space Station during a manual docking experiment. First let me say, that our prayers are with the crew on board Mir. The highest priority is to ensure their safety.
This morning I met with NASA Administrator Dan Goldin. He reported that the immediate danger to the crew has passed. Of course, NASA is having to rely on Russian information and we continue to hope for the best. During that meeting, I called on Administrator Goldin to comply with the safety provision in H.R. 1275, the Civilian Space Authorization bill, that passed the House. This provision requires that NASA not place another U.S. astronaut on board Mir, for a long-term stay, until the Administrator certifies to Congress that Mir meets or exceeds U.S. safety standards. This certification by the NASA Administrator must be based on an independent review of the safety of Mir.
I think our astronauts and the American public deserve to know that the top official at NASA has initiated a comprehensive external review of Mir’s technical integrity and standardized procedures and has concluded they meet or exceed U.S. safety standards. I, for one, can no longer sit idly by as mishap after mishap occur while we continue to plan the next Shuttle mission to Mir hoping for, but not really expecting, the mission will succeed without a potentially life-threatening situation.
The review should be initiated immediately and be concluded in advance of any decision to send the STS-86 crew to Mir as scheduled for September. I raised this issue to the NASA Administrator who told me that an outside review had been done previously and he would send to me the results of that review. While this report may be included in the comprehensive review that I am calling for today, I do not believe it satisfies the requirements of the legislation. It certainly doesn’t address the failures associated with today’s crash. I asked the NASA Administrator to give me his answer, within the next week, on whether or not he will voluntarily comply with the legislation, the provisions of which seem more important today than ever before.
* * * * * The “safety provision” Sensenbrenner refers to is in Section 205 of H.R. 1275, the Civilian Space Authorization Act for FY 1998-99. The authorization bill was passed by the House on April 24,but has not yet been acted on by the Senate, and NASA is not legally bound to follow it. The provision reads as follows:
“ASTRONAUTS ON MIR - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall not place another United States astronaut on board the Mir Space Station, without the Space Shuttle attached to MIR, until the Administrator certifies to Congress that the MIR Space Station meets or exceeds United States safety standards. Such certification shall be based on an independent review of the safety of the MIR Space Station.”
The House VA/HUD Appropriations bill, which funds NASA, is not expected to go before the full House Appropriations Committee until July 8, and the House floor after that. House Members will have sufficient time to watch developments aboard MIR and contemplate any changes they might want to make to NASA appropriations language.
