New Space Station Crew Lifts Off in Russian Craft
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
A rocket carrying two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut to the International Space Station streaked into orbit Thursday, the latest flight of a Russian spacecraft to fill in for grounded U.S. shuttles.
The new crew is made up of Russians Salizhan Sharipov and Yuri Shargin and American Leroy Chiao. NASA deputy administrator Fred Gregory said the U.S. was looking for “at least one more” crew rotation in a Soyuz flight. He said NASA hopes to conduct its first post-Columbia shuttle flight around May.
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