The primary reason Mir (Russian space station) is being abandoned is the
cost involved to repair and upgrade it and boost it higher so the orbit does
not continue to deteriorate and fall to Earth.

Several other governments have "invested" in Mir in an attempt to assist -
it is a matter of pride to Russians and was an opportunity for other
governments to build bonds.

But I see no indication of an international willingness to continue funding
the continuation of what is a very obsolete object in orbit.

Eventually all parties have to face the fact - it is just worn out and the
"owners" are broke.

So it will come down unless "someone" steps forward with billions of
"whatever" in cash - which is not all that far from the estimates of the
international police agencies of funds being sent by wire transfers to
off-shore banks from sources in Russia - annually - if you read the
international press.

I am not sure what this has to do with historical archaeology - unless large
portions of it land on Earth, and the  archaeologists have an opportunity to
study technology from an earlier era on the ground.

But it is nice to dream. I have followed events at NASA through my sister's
career for 35 years.

Warm regards,

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wayne Neighbors, Ph.D.
President, Vee Ring Ltd
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http://anthro.org/index.htm
http://anthro.org/fourstar.htm
http://homepages.msn.com/Terminus/asscinc/index.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of
George Myers
Sent: Friday, August 27, 1999 9:29 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: F.Y.I.

<long section deleted>

George J. Myers, Jr.

Today, (8/27/99: 2pm) on CNN, is a "Farewell to Mir" ceremony. I wonder,
couldn't they save it if they photogrammetrically recorded it in order to
fix
it? Then they could put it in a higher orbit, or perhaps launch it into
orbit
around the Moon as someone has suggested at the Planetary Society, at least
give it enough time to consider before trashing it in March of next year.