SB SPACE @ ARL $ARLS013
ARLS013 New two-ham ISS crew set to head into space
ZCZC AS13
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Space Bulletin 013 ARLS013
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington, CT October 17, 2003
To all radio amateurs
SB SPACE ARL ARLS013
ARLS013 New two-ham ISS crew set to head into space
The International Space Station (ISS) crew is getting ready to have
company and to head back to Earth. Aboard the ISS since April,
Expedition 7 Commander Yuri Malenchenko, RK3DUP, and NASA ISS
Science Officer Ed Lu, KC5WKJ, this week have been preparing for the
arrival of their replacements--the Expedition 8 team of Mike Foale,
KB5UAC, and Alexander Kaleri, U8MIR. This week, the Expedition 7
crew also took time to extend wishes for good fortune to China's
first astronaut, Yang Liwei.
"That is very good news. It's nice to see this happen," said Lu,
during a conversation with ground controllers in which he also
expressed wishes in Chinese that Yang Liwei "have a safe journey" in
space. "From one spacefaring nation to another, we wish them
congratulations." After sharing space with the ISS for 14 orbits,
Yang's Shenzhou V space capsule landed safely in Mongolia October
16.
Foale, Kaleri and European Space Agency Astronaut Pedro Duque,
KC5RGG, are set to head into space themselves Saturday, October 18,
at 0538z aboard a Russian Soyuz transporter from Baikonur Cosmodrome
in Kazakhstan. After docking with the ISS on October 20 and a week
of crew-change activity, Malenchenko, Lu and Duque will return to
Earth a week later aboard the Soyuz vehicle that's now attached to
the ISS.
While Duque is onboard the ISS, he will attempt Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) contacts with two school groups
in his native Spain. Duque will use the special event ED4ISS call
sign issued to him by his native country.
The English-born Foale, 46, will serve as the Expedition 8 commander
and NASA ISS science officer. Kaleri, 47, will be the Soyuz
commander and ISS flight engineer. Both are Mir veterans with
long-term spaceflight experience.
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