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2\03 Russia - Mourning ceremony in memory of STS-107 Columbia 
    crew held in the Mission Control Center (MCC) near Moscow.

February 3, 2003. Korolev, Moscow Area.

Today p.m. the members of State Committee and Technical Management of
Russian Manned Programs, provided the cargo vehicle Progress M-47
processing/launch, returned from Cosmodrome Baikonur.

At 15.00 N.F. Moiseev, Co-Chairman of State Committee, Secretary of 
Satate, First Deputy Director General of Rosaviacosmos, and Yu.P. 
Semenov, Technical Manager of Russian Manned Programs, General 
Designer of S.P. Korolev RSC Energia, took part in mourning ceremony 
in memory of STS-107 Columbia crew held in the Mission Control Center 
(MCC) near Moscow.

Phillip Cleary, NASA Representative at US Embassy in Russia; Alexander
Wershboy, US Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in Russia; 
Arkady Milman, Ad Interim Charge d'Affaires of Israel in Russia; N. F. 
Moiseev, Secretary of State, First Deputy Director General of 
Rosaviacosmos; Yu.P.  Semenov, Technical Manager of Russian Manned 
Programs, General Designer of S.P. Korolev RSC Energia; N.A. Anfimov, 
Director of TsNIIMash, spoke during the ceremony.

They said, that disaster of Manned Space Shuttle was not only a 
tragedy of American and Israelitish peoples, but also a deepest shock 
for all International Space Station (ISS) partners, which are a common 
coordinated teem of like-minded persons during this large-scale space 
program realization for the benefit of mankind. Everybody unanimously 
remarked, that space exploration was always realized on the verge of 
reality and man's perception. Therefore, the courageous people 
initiated themselves into such a difficult and risky work, highly 
qualified specialists take part in realization of manned programs by 
the separate responsibility of the States, rocket & space industry 
headquarters, such as Boeing (US) and S.P. Korolev RSC Energia 
(Russia), as well as other leading foreign and Russian enterprises, 
worked in cooperation on the International Manned Space Program.

Speakers especially remarked, that ISS was an unique man's project in 
the beginning of XXI'nd century and the station operation progress 
would be an adequate memorial for dead heroes.

The members of MCC-Moscow Main Operational Management Group and 
specialists from American consultative group operated at MCC-Moscow, 
Russian cosmonauts and US astronauts, which were closed friends with 
the Columbia crew members, attended the mourning ceremony.

All attendees stood in memory of dead astronauts and presented their
condolences to their colleges, nearest and dearest. During the 
ceremony the national anthems of USA, Israel and Russia were 
performed. The Saint Father Stephens presented at ceremony served the 
mess.

After the mourning ceremony Yu.P. Semenov, General Designer of RSC 
Energia, Alexander Wershboy, US Ambassador Extraordinary and 
Plenipotentiary in Russia and Phillip Cleary, NASA Representative at 
US Embassy in Russia, exchanged of views regarding top-priority steps, 
which are to be made to stabilize the situation during performance of 
activity about the ISS in 2003, as well as necessity of making of a 
decision by the project partners as soon as possible in order to 
approve the proposals prepared during a mutual consultations of 
Russian/US working groups.

Then Yu.P. Semenov, General Designer of RSC Energia, as well as the
representatives of other Russian entities presented their condolences 
with this tragic event to the US party in the crape book.

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