Russia may add cosmonaut to Soyuz taxi flight
Posted: Tue, Oct 8, 2002, 1:29 PM ET (1729 GMT)
The Russian space agency Rosaviakosmos is considering adding a cosmonaut to the crew of this month’s Soyuz taxi flight to the ISS, replacing would-be space tourist Lance Bass. RIA Novosti reported Monday that Yuri Lonchakov, currently a member of the backup crew of the Soyuz TMA-1 flight, may be added to the prime crew, joining commander Sergei Zaletin and Belgian astronaut Frank de Winne. Russian officials had said last month that they would fly a cargo container in place of a third crew member when they removed Bass from the crew for failure to pay the $20 million fee for the flight; no reason was given for replacing the cargo with another crew member. Lonchakov, who was a member of the space shuttle Endeavour crew that flew to the ISS in 2001 on mission STS-100, was reportedly planned to command the next taxi mission in early 2003. A decision on the makeup of the crew is expected by Friday, after the crews complete their final examinations before the October 27 launch.
The Russian space agency Rosaviakosmos is considering adding a cosmonaut to the crew of this month’s Soyuz taxi flight to the ISS, replacing would-be space tourist Lance Bass. RIA Novosti reported Monday that Yuri Lonchakov, currently a member of the backup crew of the Soyuz TMA-1 flight, may be added to the prime crew, joining commander Sergei Zaletin and Belgian astronaut Frank de Winne. Russian officials had said last month that they would fly a cargo container in place of a third crew member when they removed Bass from the crew for failure to pay the $20 million fee for the flight; no reason was given for replacing the cargo with another crew member. Lonchakov, who was a member of the space shuttle Endeavour crew that flew to the ISS in 2001 on mission STS-100, was reportedly planned to command the next taxi mission in early 2003. A decision on the makeup of the crew is expected by Friday, after the crews complete their final examinations before the October 27 launch.
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