The World - News from March 28, 1989

A Japanese television network signed a commercial agreement with the Soviet space agency Glavkosmos to send one of its reporters for a six-day stay aboard the Soviets’ Mir space station in 1991. The deal represents a breakthrough for the Soviets in their efforts to strike commercial deals using their space technology. The Tokyo Broadcasting System refused to disclose how much it is paying the Soviets for the flight, which would be the first for a Japanese--and for a journalist. Soviet officials will go to Japan in April to select six possible reporter cosmonauts from 40 candidates.