NASA confirms ISS crew switch
Posted: Fri, Feb 6, 2004, 9:15 PM ET (0215 GMT)
NASA confirmed Friday that it was switching the order of the next two crews to stay on the International Space Station, confirming Russian reports from earlier this week. Michael Fincke and Gennady Padalka, who were scheduled to fly to the station this fall as the Expedition 10 crew, will instead be the Expedition 9 crew, scheduled for launch in mid-April. Leroy Chiao and Salizhan Sharipov will instead serve as the Expedition 10 crew. The move is the latest shakeup in the ISS crew rotation, dating back to a decision in January to replace William McArthur with Chiao on the Expedition 9 crew after McArthur was medically disqualified to fly. Chiao was to fly with Valery Tokarev, but Russian reports earlier this week said that a "psychological incompatibility" between the two led ISS managers to switch the order of the crews. In a statement, NASA would only say that "it was optimal to keep teams together" for the explanation of swapping the two crews as well replacing Tokarev with Sharipov, who, like Chiao, was the original backup crew for Expedition 9.
NASA confirmed Friday that it was switching the order of the next two crews to stay on the International Space Station, confirming Russian reports from earlier this week. Michael Fincke and Gennady Padalka, who were scheduled to fly to the station this fall as the Expedition 10 crew, will instead be the Expedition 9 crew, scheduled for launch in mid-April. Leroy Chiao and Salizhan Sharipov will instead serve as the Expedition 10 crew. The move is the latest shakeup in the ISS crew rotation, dating back to a decision in January to replace William McArthur with Chiao on the Expedition 9 crew after McArthur was medically disqualified to fly. Chiao was to fly with Valery Tokarev, but Russian reports earlier this week said that a "psychological incompatibility" between the two led ISS managers to switch the order of the crews. In a statement, NASA would only say that "it was optimal to keep teams together" for the explanation of swapping the two crews as well replacing Tokarev with Sharipov, who, like Chiao, was the original backup crew for Expedition 9.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Saturday, September 13
SpaceX, Northrop Grumman to launch supplies to ISS
Spectrum News — 5:52 am ET (0952 GMT) Cornell-led space tech startup acquired by Pasteur Labs
Cornell Univ. — 5:51 am ET (0951 GMT) How China Is Transforming Space Power
The Diplomat — 5:46 am ET (0946 GMT) Two billionaires have very different — and equally wild — visions of a future in space. Is either possible?
CNN — 5:43 am ET (0943 GMT) Rare photos show 'deeply personal' moments in space
BBC — 5:36 am ET (0936 GMT) |
