U.S. and Russian Astronauts To Train
10/18/99
Four Russian cosmonauts and U.S. astronaut Kenneth Bowersox,
the back-up crew for the international station, went to the
Baikonur cosmodrome Monday to train on the Zvezda module of
the international space station while it is being prepared
for launch. Zvezda, which will house the station crew, has
been at the cosmodrome in Kazakstan since spring.
The team will test Zvezda's on-board systems during three
days of training at Baikonur, according to Interfax news
agency. They will be followed by the station's main crew,
including NASA astronaut William Shepherd, who will command
the first permanent space station crew.
The first two parts of the station were launched last year,
in November and December. The launch of Zvezda, originally
planned for this fall, has been repeatedly delayed and is
not expected to take place for some months. The project is
already more than a year behind schedule because Russia's
cash troubles have caused repeated delays in construction.