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OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

about the Soyuz TMA-2 transport spacecraft docking to
the International Space Station

April 28, 2003. Korolev, Moscow Region.
The Russian Soyuz TMA-2 manned transport spacecraft docked to the
International Space Station (ISS).

At 09:56:20 Moscow time the spacecraft docking assembly came into
contact with the port of the ISS Functional Cargo Block Zarya, when
the spacecraft and Space Station were within the Russian ground site
coverage. Following a two-day free flight in near-earth orbit and
upon completion of all the required rendezvous and berthing
operations in an automated mode with respect to the Space Station,
Soyuz TMA-2 spacecraft approached the ISS Orbital Complex.

Upon completion of the mechanical capture, retraction and interface
leak check operations, at 11:26 Moscow time the transfer hatches
between the spacecraft and Zarya Module were open. The ISS Expedition
Seven Crew (ISS-7) including Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko (crew
commander) and U.S. citizen, NASA astronaut Edward Lu (flight
engineer) transferred to the Station.

The spacecraft fly-around, rendezvous and berthing operations were
observed by the Expedition Six Crew ISS-6 and Russian and U.S.
Mission Control Centers personnel, by using the trajectory
measurements, telemetry and television information from the onboard
TV cameras accommodated on the ISS U.S. On-orbit Segments.

The joint International crew consisting of Russian cosmonauts N.
Budarin, (ISS-6 flight engineer, test cosmonaut of S.P. Korolev RSC
Energia), Yu. Malenchenko (ISS-7 crew commander, instructor and test
cosmonaut of Yu. Gagarin GCTC RSRI), U.S. astronauts Kenneth
Bowersox (ISS-6 crew commander), Donald Pettit (ISS-6 flight
engineer) and Edward Lu ((ISS-7 flight engineer). They will have to
perform 6-day joint activities onboard the ISS. During this time the
cosmonauts and astronauts will perform station crew rotation
activities, prepare Soyuz-TMA-1 spacecraft for return to the ground.
The return of ISS-6 crew on Soyuz TMA-1 is scheduled on 4 May 2003
with landing at 6:08 Moscow time.

At present the ISS Complex of about 186.2 tons is operating in orbit
in the following configuration: Functional Cargo Block Zarya, Service
Module Zvezda, Docking Module/Compartment Pirs, manned spacecraft
Soyuz TMA-1, Soyuz TMA-2, cargo vehicle Progress M-47 (Russian
Segment), as well as modules Unity, Destiny and airlock Quest (U.S.
On-Orbit Segment). The ISS Russian Segment flight is commanded from
Moscow Mission Control Center (Korolev, Moscow area) in close
cooperation with the American Mission Control Center (Houston, the
USA). The Flight Director is Pilot-Cosmonaut V.A. Soloviev.

The ISS Complex is flying in a near-earth orbit with the following
parameters: maximum altitude of 413.2 km, minimum altitude of 388.2
km, orbital period of 92.3 min.

The onboard systems of the transport spacecraft and the station
modules operate normally. The ISS joint crew is performing on-orbit
activities under the flight program.

During the Soyuz TMA-2 spacecraft rendezvous and docking maneuvers
with the ISS and the first TV communication session MCC-M was
attended by members of the State Board (Co-chairmen: N.F. Moiseev,
State Secretary, First Deputy General Director of Rosaviakosmos, V.A.
Grin, Deputy General Director of TsNIIMash) and Technical management
of manned space programs (Yu. P. Semenov, Technical Director of
Russian Manned Space Programs, General Designer of S.P. Korolev RSC
Energia, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences). These
operations were observed by representatives of Rosaviakosmos and
NASA, including M. Kostelnik, NASA Deputy Administrator, ISS Program
and Shuttle Flights Manager, F. Gregory, NASA Deputy Administrator
for Space Flights and leading specialists of RSC Energia, Russian
enterprises and organizations involved in the ISS Project
implementation.  During the first TV session with the ISS conducted
directly after opening of the transfer hatches and meeting of ISS-7
and ISS-6 crews Yu.P. Semenov, General Designer, Academician of the
Russian Academy of Sciences, N.F. Moiseev, First Deputy General
Director of Rosaviakosmos, N.A. Anfimov, General Director of TsNII of
Machine-Building, Academician of RAS, M. Kostelnik and F. Gregory,
NASA Deputies Administrator for Space Flights congratulated Yu.
Malenchenko and Ed. Lu with their arrival to the Station and wished
successful flight program activities to the joint international crew.

After opening of the transfer hatches a press conference for Russian
and foreign mass media representatives was held at MCC-M. The press
conference was attended by Yu.P. Semenov, Technical Director of
Russian Manned Space Programs, General Designer of S.P. Korolev RSC
Energia, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, N.F. Moiseev
and V.A. Grin, co-chairmen of the State Board, N.A. Anfimov, General
Director of TsNII of Machine-Building, Academician, P.I. Klimuk,
Colonel-General, Director of Yu.A. Gagarin CTC RGNII, F. Gregory and
M. Kostelnik, NASA Deputies Administrator for Space Flights, B.
Gerstenmaier, ISS Program Director, V.I. Lobachev, MCC-M Head. Yu.P.
Semenov, General Designer of S.P. Korolev RSC Energia, Academician of
the Russian Academy of Sciences, N.F. Moiseev, First Deputy Director
of Rosaviakosmos, F. Gregory, NASA Deputy Administrator for Space
Flights, P.I. Klimuk, Colonel-General, Director of Yu.A. Gagarin CTC
RGNII answered questions of journalists about ISS program activities
in 2003 and their funding.

Key data on the experiment program to be performed by Expedition Crew
ISS-7 is presented in Internet at RSC Energia site:

www.energia.ru/english/energia/iss/iss07/res.html.

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