Soviet-British Space Mission Due; London Recruiting an Astronaut
Soviet and British officials Thursday signed an agreement for the first Soviet-British space mission and announced a search for the man or woman who will become the first Briton in space.
The Briton will accompany two cosmonauts to the Soviet orbiting station Mir in 1991.
Two British candidates will be selected by November. Only one will fly aboard Mir. The other will be an understudy.
British Air Vice Marshal Peter Howard, in charge of astronaut selection, said candidates should be 21 to 40 years old, physically fit, have a degree in science and an aptitude for handling delicate scientific equipment.
Ads will appear in British newspapers in the next few days.
The British consortium behind the trip is trying to raise $25 million to cover costs for the Briton’s part in the mission, project director Malcolm Magee-Brown told a Moscow news conference.
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