美国和俄罗斯的谈判代表已就俄罗斯火箭进入国际商业发射服务市场问题达成初步协议。该协议的要点于5月初在莫斯科公布。由于要取得双方政府的批准,所以正式的协议备忘录将在晚些时候签署。 根据这项协议,俄罗斯从协议签字之日起至2000年12月31日最多只准发射8颗商业性的静地轨道或静地转移轨道卫星,即平均每年可有一次这种商业性发射。对于向低地轨道或其它非静地轨道进行的发射,协议规定可根据具体情况分别处理。 协议规定俄罗斯火箭的定价和其它发射合同条款应与西方市 Negotiators from the United States and Russia have reached a preliminary agreement on the entry of Russia’s rocket into the international commercial launch service market. The key points of the agreement were announced in Moscow in early May. Due to the approval of both governments, formal memorandums of agreement will be signed later. Under the agreement, Russia will only allow the firing of up to eight commercial geostationary or semitransparent orbiting satellites from the date of signature of the agreement up to December 31, 2000, ie on average once a year this commercial launch. For launch to LEO or other non-GEO orbits, the agreement provisions may be dealt with separately as the case may be. The agreement stipulates that the Russian rocket pricing and other terms of the launching contract should be with the Western city