spacetoday.net: NASA announces next ISS crew, launch may be delayed

Posted: Tue, Apr 1, 2003, 11:51 PM ET (0451 GMT)
ISS illustration (NASA)

NASA announced on Tuesday the names of the two members of the Expedition Seven crew scheduled to fly to the International Space Station later this month, even as Russian officials suggested the launch would be delayed. NASA confirmed earlier reports that NASA astronaut Ed Lu and Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko will make up the Expedition Seven crew. The crew is scheduled to launch on a Soyuz on April 26 to relieve the one Russian and two Americans currently on ISS. While NASA said in a statement that the launch was still scheduled for April 26, Rosaviakosmos director Yuri Koptev told Itar-Tass that the launch might be delayed until early May. Koptev didn't explain why the launch could be delayed until May 10, only that a final decision about the launch date would be made in early April. Russia has been lobbying the US to provide money to support the construction of additional Progress cargo spacecraft to supply the ISS while the shuttle remains grounded; the US to date has declined to send money, citing an Iran nonproliferation law that prevents the direct transfer of funds to Russia.