>From Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty........ --- RFE/RL List Manager <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 18:34:10 -0700 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > From: RFE/RL List Manager > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: RFE/RL Security Watch Vol.2 No.35 > > RFE/RL Security Watch Vol.2 No.35 > > TRENDS > RUSSIA PLANS TO BUILD 'ORBITING HOTEL' FOR SPACE TOURISTS. Russian aerospace corporation Energiya on 4 September announced that it has come up with plans for a special "space hotel" that will be the first stop for paying space tourists on their way to the International Space Station, strana.ru reported on 4 September. The mini-space station will hold three to five space tourists as well as provide a jumping-off point for privately funded research projects. > CABINET BACKS CONTINUED RUSSIAN PRESENCE IN > ANTARCTIC... The > Russian cabinet on 5 September decided to maintain a > Russian research > presence in the Antarctic in order to defend what it > called "Russian > national interests," RIA-Novosti reported. The > agency said that Moscow > now plans to spend $10 million next year, down from > the $12 million a > year it spent prior to 1998 but significantly above > the $4.5 million it > is spending this year. Evacuation of existing > stations there would cost > Moscow an estimated $120 million. > > �AS MOSCOW SEES STRATEGIC AND TOURIST INTERESTS > THERE. Russian > polar explorer Andrei Kapitsa told the BBC on 6 > September that Moscow has > strategic interests in the Antarctic because its > Mirnii station serves as > part of Russia's strategic early-warning system, and > because many in > Moscow believe that other countries will seek to > claim parts of > Antarctica in order to be able to extract the > natural resources there. > Meanwhile, "Rossiya" reported the same day that the > Russian government > also hopes to promote tourism to the region and to > make money in the > process. Last year alone, the paper said, some > 30,000 tourists visited > Antarctica. ===== John D. Giorgis [EMAIL PROTECTED] Takoma Park, MD __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email alerts & NEW webcam video instant messaging with Yahoo! Messenger http://im.yahoo.com
