RUSSIA: Next ISS crew given exams ahead of space flight

Record ID: 755881

  • Title: RUSSIA: Next ISS crew given exams ahead of space flight
  • Date: 6th March 2011
  • Summary: STAR CITY, MOSCOW REGION, RUSSIA (MARCH 5, 2011) (REUTERS) **CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY** EXTERIOR OF GAGARIN COSMONAUTS TRAINING CENTRE NAME PLATE OF TRAINING CENTRE MEMBERS OF SPACE CENTRE EXAMINATION COMMISSION STANDING RUSSIAN AND U.S. FLAG ON TABLE RUSSIAN COSMONAUTS ALEXANDER SAMOKUTYAEV AND ANDREI BORISENKO AND U.S. ASTRONAUT RON GARAN COMING UP TO EXAMINATION COMMISSION MEMBERS EXAM PAPERS ON TABLE VARIOUS OF SAMOKUTYAEV SIGNING EXAM PAPERS COMMISSION MEMBERS LOOKING ISS EXPEDITION CREW MEMBERS GOING AWAY CREW MEMBERS SITTING NEXT TO TRAINING CAPSULE (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN COSMONAUT AND COMMANDER OF MAIN CREW, ALEXANDER SAMOKUTYAEV, SAYING: "The exam questions are about various extraordinary situations which may occur during flight. And today we will be working with our standard set of instruments which we use during various stages of the flight." PHOTOGRAPHER CREW MEMBERS POSING FOR CAMERAS HOLDING HANDS TRAINING CAPSULE SAMOKUTYAEV GOING INSIDE CAPSULE SAMOKUTYAEV INSIDE CAPSULE SCREEN SHOWING CREW INSIDE TRAINING CAPSULE COMPUTER SCREENS COMMISSION MEMBERS LOOKING AT COMPUTER SCREENS CREW MEMBER INSIDE CAPSULE TRAINING CAPSULE WITH CREW MEMBERS INSIDE
  • Embargoed: 21st March 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Russian Federation
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: International Relations,Space
  • Reuters ID: LVADDHW63BSUMJYDE011COUYIYJ
  • Story Text: Russian cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut preparing for a trip to the International Space Station (ISS) began their second day of pre-flight exams on Saturday (March 5) at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City, outside Moscow.
    Russians Alexander Samokutyaev and Andrei Borisenko and U.S. Ron Garan are due to launch on March 30.
    The three crew members and their back up crew started their two-day exams on Friday (March 4).
    The tests simulate emergency situations that could occur during the Soyuz spacecraft flight and their mission at the ISS.
    "The exam questions are about various extraordinary situations which may occur during flight. And today we will be working with our standard set of instruments which we use during various stages of the flight," said Alexander Samokutyaev commander of the main crew of the 27th expedition.
    Samokutyaev on Saturday sat next to his colleagues before going inside the Soyuz TMA training capsule.
    The mission to the ISS will coincide with the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's historic flight, becoming the first man in space.
    The Space Training Centre officials told Russian news agency RIA that the crew members would not be marking the noted space holiday with champagne, but will instead be organising reports from the station on April 12.
    The commission will release their grades to the crews on March 11.
    Samokutyaev, Borisenko and Garan will spend 170 days in space and will return to Earth on September 16.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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