The regular meeting of the Kuchma-Gore Committee will take place in Kyiv on June 22-23. Kharkiv scientists, who work for the space sector, are looking forward to it. They hope the questions of financing our projects will be on the agenda.
A group of NASA experts visited Kharkiv recently. They examined a number of institutions and works. They also familiarized themselves with suggestions of Kharkiv scientists regarding the Alpha and Beta international space station projects. The US, Russia, Japan, and a number of other countries participate in these projects. Some time ago Ukrainian officials declared their readiness to participate.
The visit of a National Space Agency of Ukraine representative to the US was the first step. He presented a wide range of scientific projects to NASA. One of the projects is melting and casting in open space, which makes it possible to receive homogeneous materials for the radio electronic industry.
“It is sad we do not have the budget for research,” said Construction Bureau Chairman Professor Stanislav Bondarenko. “We need about a million dollars for our project and Ukraine obviously is unable to satisfy our needs. We hope NASA might be interested in our work.”
There is no need to remind the reader that the Institute of Cryogenics was a constant participant in Soviet space research. It also had a monopoly of modeling space conditions on Earth. The institute developed the cooling systems for space satellites. Kharkiv also tested how moon dust would stick to the wheels of the moonwalker, produced by the tank plant in Leningrad. But today the institute does not receive any grants for space research. It fulfills all kinds of orders in order to survive. China and Germany are the two most constant purchasers. However, Russia prefers to place its orders in its own institutes.
In spite of the lack of financing and salary arrears, the institute has managed to retain its highly efficient staff and high potential. If they win the right to work on the space station, they will do their job according to the highest standards. However, they do not think their future is all smooth and glittering.
The deputy head of the institute Klavdiy Maslov declared that interest in fundamental research is returning, albeit slowly.
Reuters Photo:
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