ESA reschedules European participation in Soyuz flights in a spirit of solidarity with International Space Station partners

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 J-rg Feustel-B-echl, 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 Andr- 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