RSC Energia meeting with the crew of STS-108/UF1
This afternoon a meeting was held between the Technical Director of
Russian manned space programs, Designer General, member of the Russian
Academy of Sciences Yu.P. Semenov and the main crew of the 4th main
expedition to International Space Station (ISS) prior to their leaving
for the United States to start their final training for the mission
which will start with a launch Endeavor orbiter scheduled for November
29, 2001 (mission STS-108/UF1).
Main crew of ISS-4 consists of a Russian cosmonaut Yuri Onufrienko (commander
and station pilot), US astronauts Carl E. Walz (flight engineer 1) and
Daniel W. Bursch (flight engineer 2).
In accordance with the established tradition, the crew laid flowers
at the monument to S.P.Korolev in the Memorial square of the Corporation.
It was also here that the participants were photographed to keep a memento
of the meeting.
The meeting continued in the historic office of academician S.P. Korolev,
the Chief Designer of rocket and space systems, the starting point for
major lines of rocket and space development, the place where many advanced
engineering projects, which have become a legend, were initiated, such
as the first artificial satellite of Earth, the first manned spacecraft
Vostok, first lunar and planetary robotic probes.
Here the crew reported to Designer General Yu.P.Semenov on the completion
of the scheduled training session program at Gagarin Cosmonaut Training
Center and on their readiness for the final phase of activities scheduled
in US before the launch of the Endeavor orbiter.
The ensuing discussion of the training results included an update of
the scope of issues on which the crew must coordinate their actions
with the Mission Control Center near Moscow (MCC-M) and Flight Director
V.A. Soloviev prior to their leaving for US on October 12, 2001 based
on the existing space station configuration and and the actual condition
of its on-board systems.
In conclusion, the Technical Director of Russian manned space programs,
Designer General Yu.P. Semenov and NASA representative in Moscow Robert
Cabana wished the crew a successful completion of the remaining training
and of the mission plan.
Among those taking part in the meeting were leading specialists of RSC
Energia and Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.
