NASA Shuttle-Mir Oral History Project
Edited Oral History Transcript

Anatoli V. Lomanov
Interviewed by Rebecca Wright
Cape Canaveral, Florida – 31 May 1998

Interviewers: Rebecca Wright, Paul Rollins, Mark Davison

[Interview conducted with interpreter from TTI]

Translater: This interview is between Anatoli Lomanov and Rebecca Wright. Today's date is May 31 [1998].

Wright [to the translater]: Would you please ask him to briefly explain his roles and duties with the Mir-Shuttle Program?

Lomanov: I'll try. My official duty has been designated by the Team Zero Phase 1 is the deputy director of the program in coordination and organization of work. The contract which stipulates our work is a big document. It has also a number of attachments which stipulate the organization of the work designated by the contract.

The contract is divided into two phases, two parts. As you already know, Phase 1 is the Mir-Shuttle, Mir-NASA Program. The Phase Two is the International Space Station. So Phase 1 now mostly works with the Mir-NASA Program. Mir-Shuttle was in the earliest stages. The main document which we conduct our work based on is the main attachment to the contract, and it's called J-4. I couldn't demonstrate it to you--I don't have it--what a lengthy document it is. It contains about 1,000 line items with due dates for their completion. It also has the cost. Of course, the main objective is to conduct all the work stated in this attachment timely and efficiently. This contract stipulates that we provide supplies, equipment, and documents as well as line items.

So in the very beginning of our joint work, Team Zero designated a Russian person who will oversee the timely processing of the contract and the fulfillment of all the obligations stipulated in each line item. Organizationally, Team Zero is divided in subteams. Each team has its own scope of objectives. You have already familiarized yourself and met a few of the heads of these subgroups, who told you about their duties and what they do in the course of this program.

Specifically to describe our work now, our main document which stipulates our work, we developed a main joint milestone schedule. We developed this document about four years ago. This was a joint effort of American and Russian experts. It was a very difficult and lengthy process of concurrence, because this document illustrated each side's obligations. These obligations had specific due dates which were tied to line items in the contract. This is a great organizational work.

You understand that all the work is planned, controlled, and has to be executed. Bearing in mind all our work conditions and all our work, sometimes it becomes quite difficult, but, nevertheless, all our joint work in preparing for each of the flights of the program have been very successful. We never had big delays. We understood each other, assisted each other, and we found common denominators and common decisions. The only special situations were when off-nominal situations occurred, which are impossible to forecast.

I like working with American colleagues. We have a complete understanding. The issues which were difficult to resolve, we always were able to find a resolution to. So without being immodest, I have to say that we have a complete understanding and a wonderful working relationship. That is the beginning.

Wright [to the translater]: Tell him he has given us a great deal of information in a short amount of time, and I hope that in the near future we'll be able to complete our conversation and be able to learn more about him. Thank you.

Lomanov: Thank you. I hope so, too.

[End of interview]