RUSSIA: As grief and confusion engulfed NASA over the loss of the Columbia and its crew, Russian scientists yesterday docked an unheralded cargo rocket with the International Space Station, in what promises to be the first of many supply missions while investigators study what befell the space shuttle.
Russia's space agency also announced the suspension of its "tourist" trips - reportedly worth $20 million a shot to the country's cash-strapped space programme - saying short-term visits to the ISS would be cancelled in favour of one flight every six months to replace the space station's resident crew.
But Russian Foreign Minister Mr Igor Ivanov, visiting a space centre near Moscow, underlined Russia's commitment to the project and to supporting the United States after the Columbia accident.
"We must do everything we can to avoid shutting down the ISS project," Mr Ivanov said. "Rather we must develop our co-operation, notably with regard to the ISS," he said, describing Saturday's calamity as a "common tragedy".
Yesterday's arrival at the ISS of the pilotless Progress freighter, which delivered food, water and equipment to the two Americans and one Russian on board, was "impeccable", said Mr Yuri Semenov, head of rocket maker Energiya.
But many Russian and US space scientists were publicly wondering how to maintain the $95 billion, 16-nation ISS programme without the space shuttle, pending an inquiry that is likely to keep the project's main workhorse grounded for many months.
"Russia's participation could grow, though we have not yet received any proposals from NASA," said Mr Georgi Polishchuk, deputy head of the Russian space agency.
"The shuttle ensured that the [space station's] orbit was maintained. It wasn't Russia's job. Now we have to determine how we can do that without the shuttle," Mr Polishchuk said in televised comments.
The shuttle was due to deliver 40 tons of equipment to the ISS this year, over the course of five flights, and experts admitted yesterday that Russia would struggle to make up the shortfall. Each Progress rocket can carry only about 2.5 tonnes of supplies.
Russia had planned to launch two manned Soyuz flights and three Progress freighters this year, but may now have to speed up both its rocket building and launch programmes, said Mr Polishchuk.