Soviet Rocket Launches Austria’s First Astronaut on Space Mission
A rocket carrying the first Austrian into space blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the southern Soviet desert early Wednesday, en route to the orbiting Mir space station.
The launch, attended by Austrian Chancellor Franz Vranitzky and Soviet officials, took place on schedule, Tass reported.
The news agency said the rocket functioned properly and that the three crew members were “feeling well.”
Austrian engineer Franz Viehboeck is the third paying customer to travel in the passenger seat of a Soyuz rocket since the cash-strapped Soviet space program was forced to become more self-sufficient. Pravda reported that Austria paid $7 million for the ride.
Viehboeck and two Soviet cosmonauts are to dock with Mir on Friday. Viehboeck will spend eight days in space, returning to Earth next week with cosmonaut Anatoly Artsebarsky, who has spent five months making repairs to Mir and conducting experiments.
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