Russian Soyuz off to space station
Source: Agencies |
June 9, 2011, Thursday
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A RUSSIAN Soyuz craft lit up the starry skies of the southern Kazakh steppe early yesterday as it blasted off to carry a three-man crew for a mission to the International Space Station that will take in the US shuttle's farewell voyage.
Russian cosmonaut Sergei Volkov, NASA's Michael Fossum, and Satoshi Furukawa of Japan's JAXA space agency will spend almost two days squeezed into the cramped Soyuz capsule before docking with the space station, where they will remain until mid-November.
By being present on the space station as the shuttle performs its final voyage, Fossum and fellow NASA astronaut Ron Garan will play leading roles in the closing act of the program.
"They're going to be very proud to be part of the last shuttle dock mission. It's obviously going to be a sad time for all of us to see the end of the program," said NASA colleague Jeff Williams, who accompanied Fossum's family during their stay in Baikonur.
Overnight, however, all attention was on the spectacle of the simple and powerful Soyuz performing its duties.
Early yesterday, the ferocious roar of rockets echoed around the desolate expanses of the Russian-leased Baikonur space launch site as the Soyuz capsule was propelled into the heavens, delighting the astronauts' families, friends and colleagues.
Furukawa gave a thumbs-up sign as the rocket charged into low orbit at speeds approaching 23,000 kilometers per hour, and a soft toy began to float, indicating zero gravity.
"We feel just great," Volkov said in answer to a question from mission control outside Moscow.
The US$56 million price that the Russian Space Agency charges NASA to send up astronauts is set to go up to US$63 million per passenger from 2014. The contract will run from 2014 through 2016.
Russian cosmonaut Sergei Volkov, NASA's Michael Fossum, and Satoshi Furukawa of Japan's JAXA space agency will spend almost two days squeezed into the cramped Soyuz capsule before docking with the space station, where they will remain until mid-November.
By being present on the space station as the shuttle performs its final voyage, Fossum and fellow NASA astronaut Ron Garan will play leading roles in the closing act of the program.
"They're going to be very proud to be part of the last shuttle dock mission. It's obviously going to be a sad time for all of us to see the end of the program," said NASA colleague Jeff Williams, who accompanied Fossum's family during their stay in Baikonur.
Overnight, however, all attention was on the spectacle of the simple and powerful Soyuz performing its duties.
Early yesterday, the ferocious roar of rockets echoed around the desolate expanses of the Russian-leased Baikonur space launch site as the Soyuz capsule was propelled into the heavens, delighting the astronauts' families, friends and colleagues.
Furukawa gave a thumbs-up sign as the rocket charged into low orbit at speeds approaching 23,000 kilometers per hour, and a soft toy began to float, indicating zero gravity.
"We feel just great," Volkov said in answer to a question from mission control outside Moscow.
The US$56 million price that the Russian Space Agency charges NASA to send up astronauts is set to go up to US$63 million per passenger from 2014. The contract will run from 2014 through 2016.
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