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Science/Tech See other Science/Tech Articles Title: Next Space Station Crew, Tourist Set for Launch [aboard a Russian Soyuz craft] CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida -- NASA and its Russian partners cleared a two-man crew and an American businessman to blast off on Friday night on a Russian spaceship that will take them to the International Space Station. NASA on Thursday approved the launch of the new station commander, U.S. astronaut Bill McArthur, despite uncertainties about his ride home. Liftoff is targeted for 11:54 p.m. EDT on Friday (0354 GMT on Saturday) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard a Russian Soyuz craft that would dock at the space station two days later. McArthur and Russian cosmonaut Valery Tokarev are scheduled to become the 12th resident space station crew. They will be accompanied into orbit by Gregory Olsen, the founder and owner of Sensors Unlimited in Princeton, New Jersey. He will become the third tourist to visit the space station. Terms of his contract were not disclosed but Russia advertises the price of a Soyuz seat at $20 million. Olsen is to spend a week aboard the orbital complex and return to Earth with the current station crew. NASA expressed confidence McArthur would have a way back to Earth despite the grounding of the U.S. shuttle fleet. "The bottom line is between us and our Russian partners, we're going to do the right thing," said Kirk Shireman, NASA's space station operations manager at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. McArthur originally was to return home aboard the space shuttle next spring but shuttle flights are on hold due to problems with the ships' external fuel tanks. Foam fell off the tank during the launch of shuttle Columbia in January 2003, damaging the ship's wing. The damage triggered the breakup of the orbiter and the deaths of seven astronauts as Columbia flew through the atmosphere for landing 16 days later. NASA has flown one shuttle mission since, but the same problem occurred as Discovery lifted off on July 26. The shuttle was not hit and returned home safely, but NASA suspended flights again until the cause of the foam loss was found and repairs made. The space agency had hoped to fly again in March, but work on the tanks was interrupted when Hurricane Katrina halted operations at its tank production facility outside New Orleans. Limited work is scheduled to begin next week. Russia's contract to provide free Soyuz rides to U.S. astronauts ends next month and trade sanctions prohibit NASA from buying rides aboard Russian spacecraft. Congress is considering lifting the ban, which was enacted due to concerns about the transfer of weapons technologies from Russia to Iran. "We're in negotiations with our Russian partners," Shireman said. "We're confident that as time progresses we'll be able to come to an agreement that's amenable to both us and the Russians." Station schedulers expect McArthur to remain aboard the outpost at least until May and plan for his return on the same Russian Soyuz capsule he will ride into orbit on Friday night. Source: REUTERS/By Irene Klotz
Poster Comment: Hell, if I had $20 million to waste on a thrill ride, the Russian Soyuz is the only ticket I would buy to outer space... BTW, could someone please point out to me, just what is the USA "top-notch" at anymore other than creating wars and breaking things?
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#1. To: Brian S (#0)
good lord! BTW, could someone please point out to me, just what is the USA "top-notch" at anymore other than creating wars and breaking things? arrogant imperialism.
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