Next ISS crew announced

The news is out! The seasoned Russian Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev and veteran NASA astronaut John Phillips are the next crew of the International Space Station.

Their six-month mission as Expedition 11 is set for launch in April 2005, 4 /2 years after Krikalev joined the ISS as on Expedition 1; but, Krikalev had been there before - on the first International Space Station assembly mission, STS-88 in 1998.

The Expedition 10 crew of Commander Leroy Chiao, KE5BRW, and ISS Flight Engineer Salizhan Sharipov, arrived at the ISS just last month - aboard a Russian Soyuz vehicle.

Station Commander Sergei Krikalev has the Amateur Radio callsign U5MIR, a remembrance of the MIR Space Station he served in during 988-89 and 1991-92.
Krikalev has accumulated 625 days in space. At the completion of a six-month stay aboard the Station on Expedition 11, Krikalev will have spent more time in space than any other person. Flight Engineer and NASA International Space Station Science Officer John Phillips has flown to space several times, including one Shuttle flight in 2001. They will be in the ISS when the Shuttle returns to space.

So, the ARISS or Amateur Radio in the International Space Station program continues, with more Amateur Radio qualified space travellers.

Look for further details at www.amsat.org
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/iss-04zzy.html
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2004/11/04/2/?nc=1

Peter Ellis VK1KEP.

Source: Wireless Institute of Australia

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