*EPF412 10/14/2004
Text: New U.S., Russian Crew on its way to International Space Station
(Expedition 9 crew will return to Earth October 23) (340)

The tenth crew of the International Space Station successfully rocketed into space October 13, beginning a six-month mission, according to a NASA press release.

A Soyuz spacecraft carried Station Expedition 10 Commander and NASA Science Officer Leroy Chiao and Flight Engineer Salizhan Sharipov to orbit along with Russian Space Forces Test Cosmonaut Yuri Shargin. Expedition 9 Commander Gennady Padalka, Flight Engineer and Science Officer Mike Fincke and Shargin will undock from the Station and return to Earth Saturday, October 23.

Information about the Space Station is available at http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/

Text of the NASA press release follows:

(begin text)

NASA
Press release, October 13, 2004

International Space Station Status Report: SS04-035

The tenth crew of the International Space Station successfully rocketed into space tonight beginning a six-month mission.

A Soyuz spacecraft carried Station Expedition 10 Commander and NASA Science Officer Leroy Chiao and Flight Engineer Salizhan Sharipov to orbit along with Russian Space Forces Test Cosmonaut Yuri Shargin.

The Soyuz launched at 11:06 p.m. EDT from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. At the time, the Station was flying about 230 miles above West Africa. With Sharipov at the controls, the Soyuz is on course to catch up and dock with the Station at 12:25 a.m. EDT Saturday. The hatches between the arriving Soyuz spacecraft and the Station will be opened at about 3:25 a.m. EDT Saturday.

Chiao and Sharipov will stay aboard the Station until April. Shargin will spend eight days onboard the Station conducting science experiments. Expedition 9 Commander Gennady Padalka, Flight Engineer and Science Officer Mike Fincke and Shargin will undock from the Station and return to Earth Saturday, Oct. 23.

Information about the crew's activities aboard the Space Station, future launch dates Station sighting opportunities is available on the Internet at: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/ NASA will issue the next ISS status report following docking on Saturday, or earlier, if events warrant.

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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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