ASTRONAUT CLEARED FOR SERVICE ON RUSSIAN SPACE STATION.

U.S. astronaut David Wolf yesterday received the go-ahead from NASA to blast off aboard the space shuttle Atlantis for the Russian space station Mir. Wolf is scheduled to spend the remainder of this year on the troubled Russian station. He will replace U.S. astronaut Michael Foale. NASA administrator Daniel Goldin made the decision to send Wolf despite considerable concern that service on Mir now poses too great a safety risk for U.S. space personnel. (Reuter, September 25)

Slump in Sino-Russian Trade.