A new Soyuz capsule will be launched into space next week on 30 October at
08:11 local time (04:11 CET) from the cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan,
carrying the European Space Agency’s first Belgian astronaut to visit the
International Space Station and two Russian crew members.

Frank De Winne, a former Belgian Air Force pilot and now a member of ESA’s
16-strong astronaut corps, follows in the footsteps of a series of
European astronauts who have already visited and worked on board the Space
Station.

A prime task of the 11-day Odissea mission is to replace the TM-34 Soyuz
vehicle currently attached to the Space Station with the new TMA-1
spacecraft, ensuring that the craft that would be used to evacuate the
Station’s resident crew in an emergency is always in top condition.

De Winne will play his part as a Soyuz Flight Engineer in the test flight
of the new Soyuz TMA-1 spacecraft, alongside Soyuz Mission Commander
Sergei Zaletin and Soyuz Flight Engineer Yuri Valentinovich Lonchakov.

“It’s a privilege to be the first Belgian to visit the Space Station and
an honour to be the first non-Russian ever to fly on the first flight of a
new Russian Soyuz vehicle,” said De Winne, speaking from Star City in
Moscow during the final days of training before launch.

“The multi-purpose Odissea mission, represents Europe’s strengthening role
in the Space Station’s rapid development, and training for the mission has
been challenging and very rewarding.”

“I’m eagerly awaiting next week when I arrive at the Station, meet my
fellow astronauts and cosmonauts on board, and finally put months of
training into practice,” he said.

Two days after launch the Soyuz TMA-1 with De Winne, Zaletin and Lonchakov
will approach and dock with the orbiting complex some 400 km above the
Earth.

De Winne, whose flight is sponsored by the Belgian Federal Office for
Scientific, Technical and Cultural Affairs (OSTC), will become the fourth
European astronaut to visit the International Space Station and the first
European astronaut to work in both the Russian and American segments of
the Space Station.

“In only two years from now, with the Columbus module added to the
International Space Station, Europe will have its own permanently
available laboratory in space for scientific and application-oriented
experiments, technology tests and commercial services”, said ESA Director
of Manned Spaceflight and Microgravity Jörg Feustel-Büechl. “This flight
is another important step not only in the cooperation with our Russian
partners, but also for the practical preparation of European astronauts
for their future role as flight engineers and scientific experimenters on
the International Space Station.”

During his eight- [nine – depending on the finally set launch and landing
dates] day stay on board the Space Station, De Winne will carry out a
programme of 23 experiments in the fields of life and physical sciences,
and education, including four in a new research facility – the
Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) – an important piece of hardware
designed and developed in Europe.

The MSG provides an enclosed, sealed environment in which to perform
experiments on combustion, fluids and biotechnology in a safe, controlled
microgravity environment.

“The experiments in the MSG are quite complex and they have relevant and
positive implications for science and commercial technology on Earth. They
represent a range of different disciplines and applications, all with the
ultimate aim of enhancing life on Earth,” said De Winne.

“The object of this flight is to get down to real science and it is a
privilege to be involved in this extensive science and technology
programme.”

It was only in the summer of 2001 that De Winne received news that he was
to begin training for this Soyuz ‘taxi’ mission and left the heat of
Houston, USA, where he had been preparing as an ESA astronaut for a
possible Space Shuttle flight.

“It was a big surprise at first but in reality the Russian approach to
training isn’t too different from the European and American way – our
training philosophy is to provide good learning circumstances once the
tough selection phase is over,” he explained.

The real challenge of this mission has been to assemble a complex payload
programme of 23 experiments within a period of 8 months.

Odissea follows the Marco Polo mission last April with ESA’s Italian
astronaut Roberto Vittori and is the latest in a series of European manned
missions to the Space Station.

Swedish ESA astronaut Christer Fuglesang is already in training for a
mission next July, when he flies on a Space Shuttle mission to the
International Space Station. He is expected to carry out several
spacewalks to attach new segments to the Space Station’s truss sections.

For further information, please contact:

ESA Media Relations Office
Tel: +33 (0)1.5369.7155
Fax: +33 (0)1.5369.7690