Newsgroups: sci.space
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: LLNL Astronaut Delivery (was Re: You Can't Expect a Space Station)
Message-ID: <1990Nov7.175448.17819@zoo.toronto.edu>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <2666@polari.UUCP> <9011061342.AA16405@iti.org> <2669@polari.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 7 Nov 90 17:54:48 GMT

In article <2669@polari.UUCP> crad@polari.UUCP (Charles Radley) writes:
>... (with one exception, Payloads Systems Inc
>managed to slip through the net and flew an experiment on Mir.   The
>net has subsequently been tightened).

References please.

They didn't "slip through", they got proper permission for everything
in advance, and as far as I know they're going ahead with their plans
to fly more.  Their payload is protein-crystallization experiments for
drug development, and their comment was that the precautions needed to
keep drug companies' materials secret from other companies far exceeded
what the US government asked for to keep them secret from the Soviets.

They also observed that the Soviets were willing to accept safety
certification from an independent US lab (something that NASA would
never have gone for).  This eliminated any need to tell the Soviets
what was inside the box or permit them to open it.

>  If you don't believe me, ask the Australian Cape York Space Agency
>what is giving them their biggest headache.....they want to get a US
>company to operate Soviet Zenit launch vehicles, and the US State
>Dept is saying - "forget it !"

References please.  United Space Boosters Inc. had their application
to participate approved a couple of months ago, admittedly after some
delay and dithering.
-- 
"I don't *want* to be normal!"         | Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
"Not to worry."                        |  henry@zoo.toronto.edu   utzoo!henry