2004-12-02 13:11 * RUSSIA * US * SPACE * ISS * AGREEMENTS *<br /><br />AMERICA WAS AND REMAINS RUSSIA'S MAIN SPACE PARTNER<br /><br />MOSCOW, (RIA Novosti political commentator Andrei Kislyakov) - NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe invited his Russian counterpart, Anatoly Perminov, to visit Cape Canaveral before Christmas. In an interview with RIA Novosti the head of Roskosmos said, "The Americans want me personally to see that everything possible is being done to resume shuttle flights as soon as possible." He added that America was Russia's principal space partner in manned space flights, specifically the International Space Station (ISS).<br /><br />The United States and Russia were engaged in intense consultations during the second half of the year to resolve the problems from the abrupt slowdown of work on the ISS after the Columbia disaster in February 2003.<br /><br />The Americans' sincerity is unquestioned especially because Mr. Perminov said, "those involved in the previous meetings in Amsterdam and Vancouver slept literally no more than two hours a day trying to revise the ISS program." In other words, the two leading space powers are fully aware of their responsibility for the unique international venture.<br /><br />Sixteen countries are involved in the ISS project including Russia the US, European Space Agency (ESA) countries, Japan, Canada and Brazil. The station began to be assembled in orbit on November 20, 1998. Today, the 183 metricton space station consists of the Russian Zarya multifunctional cargo module, the Zvezda service module, and the Pirs docking compartment, and the American Unity connecting module, the Destiny laboratory and the Quest lock chamber. In its four years in service, 107 people have been to the station.<br /><br />After the Columbia disaster, Russia assumed the full burden of crew rotation and cargo delivery to the station.<br /><br />Naturally, the under funded industry could not simultaneously maintain a manned station and the high stan