Cosmonaut added to Soyuz taxi flight
Posted: Mon, Oct 14, 2002, 8:09 AM ET (1209 GMT)
Russian officials confirmed Friday that a cosmonaut has been added to a Soyuz taxi flight scheduled for launch later this month, taking a seat once held by pop star Lance Bass. Yuri Lonchakov, a member of the backup crew of the Soyuz TMA-1 mission, will be added as a flight engineer on the prime crew, joining commander Sergei Zaletin and Belgian astronaut Frank de Winne. Russian officials has said earlier in the month that Lonchakov was being considered for the prime crew, but he had to first pass final tests conducted last week. After Lance Bass was removed from the crew of the flight in September for failure to pay the $20 million fee for the flight, Russian officials said that a cargo container would fly in his place; no reason for flying Lonchakov instead was given. Lonchakov, who flew on the STS-100 shuttle mission last year, had reportedly been under consideration for the command of the spring 2003 Soyuz taxi flight.
Russian officials confirmed Friday that a cosmonaut has been added to a Soyuz taxi flight scheduled for launch later this month, taking a seat once held by pop star Lance Bass. Yuri Lonchakov, a member of the backup crew of the Soyuz TMA-1 mission, will be added as a flight engineer on the prime crew, joining commander Sergei Zaletin and Belgian astronaut Frank de Winne. Russian officials has said earlier in the month that Lonchakov was being considered for the prime crew, but he had to first pass final tests conducted last week. After Lance Bass was removed from the crew of the flight in September for failure to pay the $20 million fee for the flight, Russian officials said that a cargo container would fly in his place; no reason for flying Lonchakov instead was given. Lonchakov, who flew on the STS-100 shuttle mission last year, had reportedly been under consideration for the command of the spring 2003 Soyuz taxi flight.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Saturday, July 4
Coolest spacecraft ever in orbit around L2
ESA — 4:24 am ET (0824 GMT) Moonwalker Aldrin says we should colonise Mars
The Herald — 4:23 am ET (0823 GMT) Interest in space memorabilia takes a leap
Financial Times — 4:22 am ET (0822 GMT) Evidence mounts that Mars was once habitable
Arizona Republic — 4:17 am ET (0817 GMT) First Moon images sent back by Nasa orbiter show incredible details just 10ft across
The Daily Mail — 4:17 am ET (0817 GMT) |