Today the first Vice-President of S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia, the first Deputy General Designer N.I. Zelenschikov met with the representatives of some Russian information agencies on the Corporation's premises.

He familiarized the journalists with the preliminary results of the activities conducted by the Technical Board led by him, which is engaged reviewing the possible causes of implementing the ballistic mode of the Soyuz TMA-1 descent module (DM) return to Earth.

He noted that both this mode and the controlled descent mode are nominal modes. It differs only in that increased values of maximum g-load are experienced during aerobraking phase in upper atmospheric layers and the Soyuz space vehicle crews, therefore, are always prepared to implement this mode too.

It took more time than usually to conduct search and evacuation activities regarding DM and the Expedition 6 crew of the International Space Station (ISS) following their ground landing, due to poor organization coordination and the shortage of funds, which does not allow us to make use of the search and rescue means to the extent possible during descent.

These issues, which are within the competence of the respective state organization and departments, are expected to be resolved in the future with due regard for the experience gained during the previous flights.

N. I. Zelenschikov stated that the Board experts thought that implementation of the ballistic descent mode, probably, had occurred because of the failure of one of the descent control system instruments.

The Board was tasked to detect the failure location, as well as specify its origin, generate specific recommendations aimed at preventing similar situations from recurrence during subsequent flights of the Soyuz TMA space vehicles.

At the present time, the Checkout and Testing Facility at RSC Energia is engaged in the activities related to the descent module of the Soyuz TMA-1 space vehicle delivered from the landing site to the Corporation by May 7th, 2003.

The activities are aimed at simulation of actual flight situation under ground conditions. Also an integrated simulation of the descent control system using the DM-specific onboard equipment is currently under way.

The board, whose working groups involve the specialists from RSC Energia, the Russian enterprises and agencies participating in the ISS Project and manufacture of the Soyuz TMA space vehicles, proceeds with its work.

The conclusions and recommendations resulting from its performance will be reported in late May - early June 2003. Regular reports will be submitted to Rosaviakosmos and NASA as the Board proceeds with its activities.

At the close of the meeting with N.I. Zelenschikov, the first Vice-President of RSC Energia, the first Deputy General Designer, the journalists visited the Corporation's Checkout and Testing Facility where they could see the Soyuz TMA-1 DM and the assembly process of the Progress and Soyuz TMA-3 space vehicles in support of the ISS Program implementation in 2003.

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