NASA HAS finally agreed with Russia a $190 million contract to provide the Functional Auxiliary Module, or FGB space tug, which will be the first element of the planned Alpha space station.
Russia originally demanded $220 million for the FGB and expected to be paid for its launch in 1997. NASA responded by saying that the figure was too high and demanded a free launch. The $190 million cost and a free launch was finally agreed on 8 February. The FGB, built jointly by Khrunichev and Lockheed, is a propulsion module, which will be used as a fuel depot and service area, providing living and experiment space, as well as serving as back-up guidance, navigation and control.
It will have six front-docking ports. A rear-mounted multiple port, added by a Progress tanker, will take the module, which was originally to have been, the core for the national Mir 2 space station. Russian flights to the station could begin, as NASA starts to dock its hardware to the front.
Source: Flight International
