But Russia has resisted NASA's offer in an effort to preserve its role in the multibillion-dollar project. Instead, Russia is offering the hardware for sale only if NASA agrees to buy a rescue vehicle for the ISS. That move would guarantee Russia's active involvement in the ISS program.
NASA now says it is working with the Russian Aviation and Space Agency, Rosaviacosmos, on a purchase plan.
"While we know the Russians are interested in selling us a Soyuz [rescue vehicle for the ISS], the Russian space agency has not rejected the prospect of the $14 million contractbeing [made] separately," said NASA spokeswoman Kirsten Williams.
In response to continuing Zvezda launch delays and Russia's decision to continue operating the Mir space station with private funds, NASA decided this year to launch the Interim Control Module, or ICM, even if Russia successfully launched its Zvezda service module to rendezvous with the ISS.
NASA adopted a schedule calling for the ICM to go up on a space shuttle in December 2000 if Zvezda fails to fly by August. Even if Russia makes that deadline, the ICM will be launched in 2001 and docked to a U.S.-built part of the space station.
A pressure dome, indeed
The first piece of docking hardware which NASA would like to purchase from Russia within the $14 million contract is a so-called pressure dome. The $5 million device would allow modification of the already-flying Zarya module so the ICM could dock with it.
(The ICM was designed as a temporary propulsion module for the ISS in case of a loss or delays with the Russian Zvezda service module. Zvezda is slated to serve as living quarters and a propulsion unit for ISS.)
Vladimir Suromyatnikov, a lead engineer at RKK Energia -- the Russian company responsible for developing the pressure dome, told SPACE.com that NASA wants to buy the dome, even if Zvezda successfully docks with the rest of the ISS.
"The dome would allow modifying any of the space-station docking ports in the future," Suromyatnikov said.
He added that NASA wants the device ready by the year's end. Currently, RKK Energia is finishing documentation on the dome and is close to building a flight version.
The second element NASA wants to buy is a docking port. The $9 million hardware would allow a yet-to-be-built U.S. space tug, currently known as a propulsion module, to dock permanently to the station and facilitate the refueling of the ISS.
Russia's lifeboat
The Soyuz rescue vehicle, which Rosaviacosmos wants to bundle with the pressure dome and docking port, would be attached to the ISS and serve as a lifeboat. The docked Soyuz would ensure that long-term station crews would have a way to return to Earth in any emergency that might occur in the absence of the space shuttle.
Since only three people can fit in the vehicle at a time, two Soyuz spacecraft would be needed to guarantee the emergency escape of a six-member crew eventually planned for the station.
Meanwhile, NASA is developing its own reusable rescue vehicle -- the X 38. A single X 38 mini-shuttle could return all six crew mates. The hitch is that it might not be ready by the time the station can accommodate the planned crew complement.
For this reason, it's a good guess that NASA eventually will settle for the bundle -- the two pieces of docking hardware and the Soyuz rescue craft.
Although previously, NASA agreed to purchase a Soyuz lifeboat as a temporary solution to the problem, now the U.S. space agency wants to renegotiate the agreement after the launch of Zvezda.
NASA representatives told SPACE.com that following the Zvezda launch, the agency will review the updated ISS assembly schedule and establish whether there is gap between the time when six people can inhabit the station and the time when X 38 becomes available.
The price for the Soyuz also is contentious. NASA recently complained that RKK Energia, the Soyuz manufacturer, sold the spacecraft to the privately run MirCorp (currently financing a cosmonaut mission on Mir) at a lower price than it had offered to NASA.
Political hurdle cleared
Disagreement between Rosaviacosmos and NASA on the contract is the latest snag in the string of problems threatening U.S.-Russian cooperation on the ISS. Recently, Congress tied any NASA procurements from Russian companies to the issue of nonproliferation of rocket technology. The move was caused by accusations that Russian companies might have helped nations like Iran develop ballistic missiles.
In the case of the docking hardware, Rosaviacosmos has cooperated and provided U.S. officials with a list of subcontractors involved in the development of the pressure dome and the docking port.
The list was reviewed and cleared by Department of State. NASA is currently awaiting the Clinton administration's notification to Congress on the deal.
ICM irony
Despite NASA's increased efforts to distance itself from reliance on Russia in the future stages of ISS construction, the American agency faces technical problems with its own Interim Control Module. The ICM will become necessary station component if NASA decides to take an independent route to completing the complex. At this point, a December 2000 ICM launch -- tentatively scheduled earlier this year in the event Zvezda fails to get off the ground by August -- is not even possible.
In the middle of April, a communications component on board the ICM failed. The device was sent to the manufacturer for repairs. As a result, a crucial test of the ICM hardware planned for April was delayed.
NASA said that the repairs, coupled with a schedule conflict in the use of a testing chamber at the Pax Naval Air Base, will likely postpone the test until June. In turn, that will delay the delivery of the ICM to the Kennedy Space Center until autumn.
"It appears that the earliest ICM launch capability could be now in early 2001," NASA said.
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