Space Flight Europe-America 500
Encyclopedia
Space Flight Europe-America 500 was a goodwill mission conceived in 1992 as the first private spaceflight
by the Russian Foundation for Social Inventions
and TsSKB-Progress
, a Russian rocket
-building company, to increase trade between Russia and USA, and promote use of technology once reserved only for military forces.
The idea of a space launch to be carried out in the International Space Year
, the 500th anniversary of Columbus's arrival in the Americas
, the 35th anniversary of the Earth's first artificial satellite
launch, and the 35th Anniversary of the Treaty of Rome establishing the European Community, belonged to Alexander Bazlov, a spacecraft
designer, and was supported by Gennady Alferenko
, the President of the Foundation for Social Inventions.
The effort was pulled off by the private sectors, with the support of the governments from both countries. Money for the launch was raised from a collection of Russian companies who paid the military for the hardware.
Bob Walsh, an entrepreneur and humanitarian who helped bring the Goodwill Games
to Seattle, heard of the plan while visiting Moscow and agreed to sponsor it in the U.S. He worked with U.S. authorities to clear the way for the capsule recovery and delivery to Seattle.
On November 16, 1992 at 00:52 a.m. MSK, a Soyuz rocket
fired a 8 feet (2.4 m), 5,152-pound spherical Resurs-500 capsule similar to the one flown by Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin
, from Russia's once-secret Plesetsk Cosmodrome
.
The satellite orbited the Earth for seven days before parachuting into the Pacific Ocean about 120 miles off Grays Harbor on the Washington state coast on November 22 at 10:32 a.m. PDT. The space capsule was scooped up and brought to Seattle by a 680-foot Russian missile-tracking ship Marshal Krylov.
The ship docked at 9 a.m. November 24 at Pier 42 of the Port of Seattle
, where it was met by government officials, including Mayor Norm Rice
and Washington's Secretary of State Ralph Munro, school children, bands and local residents as well as 330 Russian dignitaries, business leaders, scientists, journalists and space officials, including Cosmonaut German Titov, the second Russian in space, who arrived in Seattle by charter flights.
Inside the capsule were 19 neon-orange containers with gifts, souvenirs, business products, artwork, religious icons, and messages of peace. Among other things, there were Russian Orthodox Church icons for the Saint Spiridon Orthodox Cathedral; Digswell the Space Dog, a stuffed toy based on a British cartoon character; a crystal sculpture of the Statue of Liberty
; peace messages from the Dalai Lama
, Russian President Boris Yeltsin
, and leaders of European nations; a Christmas present for President Bill Clinton
; and samples of Russian products. Also, there were two wedding rings from a Russian couple who got married at St. Spiridon Cathedral, after retrieving their rings from the capsule.
The space capsule was towed in the Bon Marche holiday parade and was set on display at the Museum of Flight
at Boeing Field, where it has been residing ever since.
In the course of the event, a Russian-American Business Opportunity Conference was held at the Seattle Sheraton, and art and photo exhibits were on display. On Thanksgiving
, Rotary Club members and church groups hosted the Krylov's 450 sailors and the 330 Russian visitors at their homes. Marshal Krylov, a previously top-secret vessel, was open to the public for several days. According to organizers, it was the first time anyone from the general public, including Russian civilians, had been allowed on board.
exchange program, operated by the Europe-America 500 Consortium (Russia) and the International Research and Exchanges Board (USA) to promote development of small and medium-sized businesses in Russia. The program was coordinated by the Russian Federal Employment Service and the United States Information Agency
.
While all citizens of Russian Federation, irrespective of specialty, occupation, or employment status, who were up to 40 years old, were eligible to apply to an open competition to be selected, unemployed people and women had been given priority. During the course of the program, over 10.000 young people had been sent for 4-6-week intern
ships in the United States for developing entrepreneurial skills and gaining experience. A great deal of them had started businesses upon return to Russia.
Private spaceflight
Private spaceflight is flight above Earth altitude conducted by and paid for by an entity other than a government. In the early decades of the Space Age, the government space agencies of the Soviet Union and United States pioneered space technology augmented by collaboration with affiliated design...
by the Russian Foundation for Social Inventions
Foundation for Social Inventions
The Foundation for Social Inventions of the USSR was founded in 1986 by Gennady Alferenko, a social innovator and entrepreneur, to launch initiatives for turning Russia into an open civil society....
and TsSKB-Progress
Progress State Research and Production Rocket Space Center
The Progress State Research and Production Space Centre is a Russian "Federal State Unitary Enterprise" under the jurisdiction of Roscosmos, the Russian Federal Space Agency responsible for space science and aerospace research...
, a Russian rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
-building company, to increase trade between Russia and USA, and promote use of technology once reserved only for military forces.
The idea of a space launch to be carried out in the International Space Year
International Space Year
The International Space Year was 1992, the five-hundredth anniversary of 1492, the year of Christopher Columbus's voyage to the New World. First proposed by US Senator Spark Matsunaga, the designation of 1992 as International Space Year was endorsed by 18 national and international space agencies,...
, the 500th anniversary of Columbus's arrival in the Americas
Columbus Day
Many countries in the New World and elsewhere celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, which occurred on October 12, 1492, as an official holiday...
, the 35th anniversary of the Earth's first artificial satellite
Sputnik 1
Sputnik 1 ) was the first artificial satellite to be put into Earth's orbit. It was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957. The unanticipated announcement of Sputnik 1s success precipitated the Sputnik crisis in the United States and ignited the Space...
launch, and the 35th Anniversary of the Treaty of Rome establishing the European Community, belonged to Alexander Bazlov, a spacecraft
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
designer, and was supported by Gennady Alferenko
Gennady Alferenko
Gennady Alferenko is a Soviet and Russian social innovator; in 1970 he established Terpsichore, the first local community organization registered as a legal entity in the USSR; in 1985 he established the Foundation for Social Inventions of the USSR, and in 1987, the foundation for Social...
, the President of the Foundation for Social Inventions.
The effort was pulled off by the private sectors, with the support of the governments from both countries. Money for the launch was raised from a collection of Russian companies who paid the military for the hardware.
Bob Walsh, an entrepreneur and humanitarian who helped bring the Goodwill Games
Goodwill Games
The Goodwill Games was an international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s...
to Seattle, heard of the plan while visiting Moscow and agreed to sponsor it in the U.S. He worked with U.S. authorities to clear the way for the capsule recovery and delivery to Seattle.
On November 16, 1992 at 00:52 a.m. MSK, a Soyuz rocket
Soyuz (rocket)
The Soyuz was a Soviet expendable carrier rocket designed by OKB-1 and manufactured by State Aviation Plant No. 1 in Samara, Russia. It was used to launch Soyuz spacecraft as part of the Soyuz programme, initially on unmanned test flights, followed by the first 19 manned launches of the...
fired a 8 feet (2.4 m), 5,152-pound spherical Resurs-500 capsule similar to the one flown by Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut. He was the first human to journey into outer space, when his Vostok spacecraft completed an orbit of the Earth on April 12, 1961....
, from Russia's once-secret Plesetsk Cosmodrome
Plesetsk Cosmodrome
Plesetsk Cosmodrome is a Russian spaceport, located in Arkhangelsk Oblast, about 800 km north of Moscow and approximately 200 km south of Arkhangelsk.-Overview:...
.
The satellite orbited the Earth for seven days before parachuting into the Pacific Ocean about 120 miles off Grays Harbor on the Washington state coast on November 22 at 10:32 a.m. PDT. The space capsule was scooped up and brought to Seattle by a 680-foot Russian missile-tracking ship Marshal Krylov.
The ship docked at 9 a.m. November 24 at Pier 42 of the Port of Seattle
Port of Seattle
The Port of Seattle is a port district that runs Seattle's seaport and airport. Its creation was approved by the voters of King County, Washington, on September 5, 1911, authorized by the Port District Act. It is run by a five-member commission. The commissioners' terms run four years...
, where it was met by government officials, including Mayor Norm Rice
Norm Rice
Norman Blann Rice was the 49th mayor of Seattle, Washington, serving two terms from 1989-1997. Rice was Seattle's first, and to date only, African-American mayor.-Early life:...
and Washington's Secretary of State Ralph Munro, school children, bands and local residents as well as 330 Russian dignitaries, business leaders, scientists, journalists and space officials, including Cosmonaut German Titov, the second Russian in space, who arrived in Seattle by charter flights.
Inside the capsule were 19 neon-orange containers with gifts, souvenirs, business products, artwork, religious icons, and messages of peace. Among other things, there were Russian Orthodox Church icons for the Saint Spiridon Orthodox Cathedral; Digswell the Space Dog, a stuffed toy based on a British cartoon character; a crystal sculpture of the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
; peace messages from the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
, Russian President Boris Yeltsin
Boris Yeltsin
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999.Originally a supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin emerged under the perestroika reforms as one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents. On 29 May 1990 he was elected the chairman of...
, and leaders of European nations; a Christmas present for President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
; and samples of Russian products. Also, there were two wedding rings from a Russian couple who got married at St. Spiridon Cathedral, after retrieving their rings from the capsule.
The space capsule was towed in the Bon Marche holiday parade and was set on display at the Museum of Flight
Museum of Flight
The Museum of Flight is a private non-profit air and space museum at King County International Airport , south of downtown Seattle, Washington. It was established in 1965 and is fully accredited by the American Association of Museums...
at Boeing Field, where it has been residing ever since.
In the course of the event, a Russian-American Business Opportunity Conference was held at the Seattle Sheraton, and art and photo exhibits were on display. On Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
, Rotary Club members and church groups hosted the Krylov's 450 sailors and the 330 Russian visitors at their homes. Marshal Krylov, a previously top-secret vessel, was open to the public for several days. According to organizers, it was the first time anyone from the general public, including Russian civilians, had been allowed on board.
Entrepreneur exchange program
The flight helped start important social development initiatives, including a Russian-American entrepreneurEntrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is the act of being an entrepreneur, which can be defined as "one who undertakes innovations, finance and business acumen in an effort to transform innovations into economic goods". This may result in new organizations or may be part of revitalizing mature organizations in response...
exchange program, operated by the Europe-America 500 Consortium (Russia) and the International Research and Exchanges Board (USA) to promote development of small and medium-sized businesses in Russia. The program was coordinated by the Russian Federal Employment Service and the United States Information Agency
United States Information Agency
The United States Information Agency , which existed from 1953 to 1999, was a United States agency devoted to "public diplomacy". In 1999, USIA's broadcasting functions were moved to the newly created Broadcasting Board of Governors, and its exchange and non-broadcasting information functions were...
.
While all citizens of Russian Federation, irrespective of specialty, occupation, or employment status, who were up to 40 years old, were eligible to apply to an open competition to be selected, unemployed people and women had been given priority. During the course of the program, over 10.000 young people had been sent for 4-6-week intern
Intern
Internship is a system of onthejob training for white-collar jobs, similar to an apprenticeship. Interns are usually college or university students, but they can also be high school students or post graduate adults seeking skills for a new career. They may also be as young as middle school or in...
ships in the United States for developing entrepreneurial skills and gaining experience. A great deal of them had started businesses upon return to Russia.
Sources
- Space - Rocketing Toward Peace, The Seattle Times, November 2, 1992
- State To Welcome Russia Missile, The Seattle Times, November 14, 1992
- From Russia, With Love: 'Peace Rocket' Heads to U.S., Los Angeles Times, November 16, 1992
- Russian goods rocket into America, NewScientist, November 21, 1992
- Russian Capsule Strictly Business, The Seattle Times, November 22, 1992
- Seattle Greets A New Order -- Soviet Capsule, Visitors Symbolize Good Will, The Seattle Times, November 23, 1992
- From Russia, With Ambition -- Seattle-Bound Russian Ship Hauls In Capsule, The Seattle Times, November 23, 1992
- 'Friendship Rocket' From Russia Lands, Los Angeles Times, November 23, 1992
- Russian Ship Bears Cargo Of Good Will -- Vessel Docks Here To Open Peace Visit -- Crew To Present City With Gift-Laden Missile, The Seattle Times, November 24, 1992
- Jello And Other Strange American Customs -- Russians Savor First Thanksgiving, The Seattle Times, November 27, 1992
- From Russia With Love - Via Space -- Men Of The Sea, On Solid Ground, Open Capsule From Air, The Seattle Times, November 29, 1992
- Tip-to-Tail Tour: Resurs 500 , The Museum of Flight, February 17, 2008