Press Release

Official RSC Energia Press Release About cooperation of S.P. Korolev RSC Energia and SpaceHab, Inc. in development of information programs

By SpaceRef Editor
April 19, 2000
Filed under

Last week there have been reports in the media
alleging that US company SpaceHab Inc. had acquired from
its partner, S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation
Energia, exclusive rights “to use the Russian space program
film archives”.

On April 12 this was reported by radio station
“Ekho Moskvy”, on April 13 in newspaper “Segodnya” No.81 in
an article “Space Deal” by I.Sas, and in newspaper “Nezavisimaya
gazeta” in an article “Energia has pawned its archive” by I.Safronov,
on April 14 in newspaper “Vedomosty” in an article “Space TV
built by SpaceHab with the help of RSC Energia”, and in
some other mass media.

Normally, our Corporation does not make any comments
about articles by newsmen who use unreliable information. However,
in the case of the misinformation about the sale or archives
that was discussed in the Russian mass media, what is called
in question is not only the honesty of Corporation’s strategic
partners from abroad, but also the position of our team, who
is a pioneer in the development of the domestic rocketry, in
the world’s space science, and in virtually all the areas of
their development, which is unvarying in its steadfast resolve
to protect the interests of the Russian space science and to
integrate it into international projects on equal footing.

Throughout more than half a century of its history,
our team, together with the teams of our subcontractors, have
always been proving with their deeds the highest level of domestic
designs, and even under the most difficult conditions of economic
reforms have never been pursuing and does not pursue its own
selfish departmental ends. This fact is well known to everyone
who cooperates with us.

Therefore, our partner was genuinely surprise
at the publications in the Russian mass media. In this context,
Vice-President of SpaceHab Inc. V. Fishel sent a letter
to Yu.P. Semenov, President and Designer General of S.P. Korolev
RSC Energia.

Below we give you a textual extract from that
letter:

“Recently, the Russian press published information
alleging that SpaceHab Inc. bought RSC Energia’s space
archives. Unfortunately, newsmen have amazing ability to invent
all kinds of misleading stories. Since I am personally involved
in this matter, I would like to repudiate this information and
express my regrets at the degree to which facts can be distorted.
I would like to assure you, and, in your person, Rosaviacosmos,
that we never held any negotiations, either at RSC Energia
or anywhere else, about any purchase of space archives from
RSC Energia. Any reports of that kind are a complete misrepresentation
of facts.”

An analysis of available materials has shown
that all the uproar about the archives arose as a result of
misinterpretations of some of the comments that appeared in
press outside Russia in connection with the establishment of
the first commercial space corporation for mutimedia products
Space Media, Inc. (SMI), a subsidiary of SpaceHab, Inc.

At present, S.P. Korolev RSC Energia
is studying, together with its partners from abroad, the degree
of its participation in this sphere of space activities as well,
since the implementation of such an international project will
allow to give the world community a true-to-life and objective
account of the history of the Russian space science and its
outstanding achievements. Our Corporation is ready to work and
will work in the future on the development of advanced telecommunications
technologies, including the use of multimedia capabilities of
the Enterprise module built together with SpaceHab, Inc. within
the framework of the International Space Station project.

SpaceRef staff editor.