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Paris, 28 February 2003
Press Release
Nx 13-2003

ESA reschedules European participation in Soyuz flights in a
spirit of solidarity with International Space Station partners
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The European Space Agency (ESA) has agreed to six-month postponements 
of the Soyuz flights by two members of its astronaut corps planned for 
April and October 2003. The agreement is based on an understanding 
between ESA, the Russian Space Agency  (Rosaviakosmos) and NASA, in 
close cooperation with the Spanish and Dutch authorities concerned. 
The purpose of the agreement is to allow the April Soyuz flight to be 
used for an International Space Station crew rotation.

"The agreement was made in the interest of a smooth continuation of 
Space Station operation and utilisation," said Mr Jorg Feustel-Beechl, 
ESA Director of Human Spaceflight,  "it should  be seen as a sign of 
the close cooperation and solidarity among the International Space 
Station partners".

It was initially planned to exchange the present crew on board the ISS 
in March with a new crew arriving on the Space Shuttle Discovery.  In 
April a new Soyuz spacecraft was scheduled to fly to the ISS carrying 
ESA astronaut Pedro Duque for an 8-day stay on the ISS, a mission 
supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology.

The temporary grounding of the US Space Shuttle fleet has made it
necessary for the April Soyuz flight to be used for ISS crew rotation
purposes.  ESA’s agreement to postpone the two planned flights for six 
months will make Pedro Duque’s seat on that flight available for the 
crew rotation.

Pedro Duque's mission is now planned for October, when he will carry 
out a range of life and physical science experiments on board the ISS.  
As Duque is working as expert astronaut in the ESA Columbus team, the 
practical experience he will gain on the ISS will directly benefit the 
integration and flight preparation of the European Columbus 
Laboratory, currently scheduled for launch in 2004.  He will also 
participate in a number of educational and promotional activities with 
the aim of bringing the European human space programme and research 
performed in space to a wider public, young people in particular.

ESA astronaut Andre Kuipers will fly in spring 2004. This mission,
supported by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and by the 
Ministry of Education, Culture and Science will focus strongly on 
scientific research and Kuipers will carry out an extensive programme 
of life and physical science experiments with particular emphasis on 
biology, human physiology and materials science.  He will use a number 
of European facilities during the mission, including the Pulmonary 
Function System, ESA’s contribution to the NASA Human Research 
Facility, and the Microgravity Science Glovebox.  Educational 
activities will again be part of the programme.

Swedish ESA astronaut Christer Fuglesang, whose Shuttle flight to the 
ISS was originally scheduled for July 2003, is currently on standby 
and continues his training at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

For further information, please contact: 
ESA Media Relations Service 
Tel.: + 33(0)1.53.69.7155 
Fax: +33(0)1.53.69.7690 

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