Russia, U.S. toast new era of space cooperation

View of the International Space Station from a space shuttle hatch

BAIKONUR COSMODROME, Kazakhstan (Reuters) -- The launch on Tuesday of the first crew to man the International Space Station has brought Russia and the United States closer than they have ever been, a future visitor to the ISS said.

"What we are doing here is building relationships between countries. It is better than building bombs," said American Kenneth Bowersox, 43, who will be a member of the third crew that will travel to the $60 billion-$100 billion station next year.

"Would you have believed this was possible 20 years ago?" he asked reporters, after downing a traditional shot of vodka with his Russian crewmates.

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Nine minutes later, when the Soyuz module carrying the first ISS crew went into orbit, Russian space officials opened a bottle of whiskey and clinked glasses with their American colleagues.

"This is a big achievement that Russia, which put the first man in space, and the United States, which put the first man on the moon, have joined hands," a clearly delighted NASA chief Daniel Goldin said after the launch. "But we shall have more problems. This is tough stuff. We are going to make it happen, but no one should think it is easy."

Goldin, like the Russian Space Agency deputy head Valery Alaverdov, had nervously stood aside from most of the spectators and declined to talk with reporters until the ISS crew was safely in orbit.

And when he did begin speaking, his tone was much brighter than in 1998 when he blasted delays in Russia's construction of the Zarya living quarters for the ISS, due to financial problems.

"Russians are wonderful scientists and technicians and we have complete confidence in them," he said.

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