T/I:   11:19:26


Russia's hard up space agency linked up with an American television shopping channel, QVC, on Saturday (7/2) to sell a pen that can write in Space. Commander Anatoly Solovyov and flight engineer Pavel Vinogradov proved the 32.72 US  dollar pen could write in a gravity free environment. The cosmonauts then displayed chocolate from Moscow's famous "Red October" chocolate factory showing a picture of Solovyov on
the wrapper. The TV auction is the latest commercial venture for the Russian space programme, which has faced hard times since the collapse
of the Soviet Union.


SHOWS:

MOSCOW/RUSSIA, SPACE, 7/2
00.00 CU cosmonauts Anatoly Solovyov and Pavel Vinogradov
holding up box of chocolates (show actual bars of chocolate with
picture of Solovyov on them at 00.10).
00.17 CA mission control room.
00.20 MS Solovyov and Vinogradov demonstrating pen.
00.41 SOT, Alexander Spirin, Mission Control, Mir Mission
Control, saying the agency's commercial side isn't as developed
as it should…