Debra J. Rahn
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                                                
July 31, 1991
(Phone:  202/453-8455)


RELEASE:  91-122

U.S. AND U.S.S.R. EXPAND SPACE COOPERATION


   The U.S. and the Soviet Union have agreed to expand civil space 
cooperation by flying a U.S. astronaut on a long-duration Soviet 
space station Mir mission and a Soviet cosmonaut on a U.S. Space 
Shuttle mission, increase cooperation in monitoring the global 
environment from space and initiate annual consultations between 
the two governments on civil space issues and cooperative 
activities.  The agreement was reached by Presidents Bush and 
Gorbachev during the July 30-3l Summit in Moscow.  

   These initiatives were developed for the U.S. side under the 
guidance of the National Space Council, chaired by Vice President 
Dan Quayle. 

   The purpose of the exchange of flights is to conduct Life 
Sciences research of mutual interest.  It would advance current 
efforts to standardize in-flight medical procedures which would 
improve comparability of data taken by each side. 

   The exchange would involve training of the crew members at 
appropriate U.S. and Soviet facilities, exchange of medical 
equipment for flight on the space missions and establishment of a 
telecommunications link between appropriate facilities of the two 
sides for use during the missions. 

   A new joint working group (JWG) on manned space flight will be 
established as an annex to the l987 U.S./U.S.S.R. space science 
agreement to implement the flight project.  The manned space 
flight JWG will work with the exisiting JWG on Space Biology and 
Medicine, which will be responsible for implementing the life 
sciences research. 



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   The agreement also calls for expanded cooperation in the 
monitoring of the global environment.  Both sides will exchange 
information on their respective plans for Earth observations 
programs and develop cooperation where joint action could improve 
Earth science research and environmental monitoring on a global 
scale and facilitate the free and open international exchange of 
data from those programs.  This cooperation will be carried out by 
the U.S./U.S.S.R. Earth Sciences JWG. 

   It was also agreed to hold annual meetings between the two 
governments on civil space issues and cooperative activities. 

   The JWGs are coordinated on the U.S. side by NASA and the 
Department of State-led "Interagency Working Group on U.S./Soviet 
Space Cooperation," under the guidance of the National Space 
Council.

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