The General Designers’ Review on the International Space Station Russian
Segment (Chairman of the General Designers’ Review, Technical Manager of the
Russian Manned Programs is the General Designer, RAS academician Yu.P.
Semenov) heard the reports on the results of the ISS-related efforts
implemented throughout the April – September 2004 period and the progress
made in preparation for implementing new phase of the Program at the meeting
held at S.P. Korolev Russian and Space Corporation Energia.

Yu.I. Grigoriev, deputy General Designer of S.P. Korolev RSC Energia,
briefed the members of the General Designers’ Review on the main results of
the Expedition 8 and Expedition 9 Missions to the International Space
station (ISS-8 and ISS-9), the proposals for the Mission Program for
Expedition 10 (ISS-10) and Vesting Crew 7 (VC-7); informed about the ISS
operational status and prelaunch processing of the Soyuz TMA-5 manned
spacecraft.

Among others making reports were the following persons:

  • Chief designers, responsible representatives of the enterprises developing and manufacturing the systems who briefed the audience on technical readiness of spacecraft, launch vehicle and the Launch Complex for launch:

  • V.V. Tsibliev (Director of Yu.A. Gagarin CTC) reported on the flight readiness of ISS-10 and VC-7 Expeditions crew;

  • V.V. Bogomolow (Deputy Director of the Institute for Biomedical Problems) informed about the health state of ISS-9, ISS-10 and VC-7 crews;

  • V.A. Solovyov (Director of the Lead Operational Control Team-LOCT, Head of

  • S.P. Korolev RSC Energia’s Division; Pilot-Cosmonaut) briefed the audience

  • on the ISS flight progress, readiness of the mission control documentation, readiness of the LOCT personnel and crews for the coming Soyuz TMA-5/ISS docking activities;

  • A.T. Goryachenkov (Deputy General Director of TsNII Machinebuilding) informed about the ISS operational status conclusion prepared by this Roskosmos entity and the launch readiness of the Soyuz TMA-5 spacecraft.

The ISS-10 Prime Crew is in the process of preparation for the flight and
consists of the two people: American astronaut Leroy Chiao (ISS-10
Commander, Flight Engineer of the Soyuz TMA spacecraft) and Russian
cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov (ISS-10 Flight Engineer, the Soyuz TMA
Commander). The spacecraft crew also involves Russian cosmonaut Yuri Shargin
(Flight Engineer 2 of the spacecraft). He will be working under VC-7 Program
at the station and return to the ground together with the ISS-9 crew by the
Soyuz TMA-4 spacecraft.

Mission tasks of the ISS-10 crew are the following:

  • operational support during undocking of the Soyuz TMA-4, Progress M-50 spacecraft, docking/undocking of the Soyuz TMA-5 spacecraft and Space Shuttle Orbiters in the event of reinitiating their flights to the station; docking, unloading and joint work on the station related to the Progress M-51, Progress M-52; docking of the Soyuz TMA-6 spacecraft;

  • maintenance of the ISS functioning;

  • conducting two space walks during EVA;

  • implementing scientific-applied research program;

  • return to Earth by the Soyuz TMA-5 spacecraft.

Scientific-applied research program in the ISS-10 phase includes conduct of
41 experiments, of which 34 experiments to be carried out are under the
Russian Program; 7 experiments to be carried out are under the contracts.
The VC-7 foresees conduct of 14 experiments, including visual observations,
medicine, biotechnology, technology and photo/videorecording under the
ISS-10 Program.

The General Designers Review having reviewed the ISS operational status,
state of the Soyuz TMA-5 readiness; progress in the Soyuz-FG and Launch
Complex preparation; readiness of the personnel from the Russian and
American ground processing facilities and Mission Control divisions; crews
readiness for implementing the ISS and spacecraft flight, as well as
considering the satisfactory conclusions on the operational readiness of the
spacecraft and the station as a whole, has decided to approve:

  • the results of the implemented ISS efforts program throughout the April – September 2004 period;

  • the test results and plan for the work to be performed on the Soyuz TMA-5 prelaunch processing for the scheduled replacement of the Soyuz TMA-4 on the station and implementing the VC-7 Expedition with return to Earth of the Russian cosmonaut Gennadiy Padalka (Commander of the ISS-9 and Soyuz TMA-4 spacecraft), NASA astronaut Michael Finke (ISS-9 and Soyuz TMA-4 Flight Engineer) and Russian cosmonaut Yuri Shargin (Soyuz TMA-4 Flight Engineer-2, the VC-7 Flight Engineer);

  • research and experiments program for the ISS-10 Expedition scheduled to last 196 days;

  • 9-day VC-7 Expedition program foreseeing the flight of Russian cosmonaut Yu. Shargin and conduct of the experiments and research planned by the Russian scientists and ESA member states, as well as performance of the contractual work.

The General Designers’ Review was attended by the representatives of
Roskosmos, NASA, ESA, industry-wide enterprises and entities involved in the
Project implementation. Soyuz TMA-5 spacecraft flight is scheduled to be
performed on October 11, 2004 at 8 hours 16 minutes Moscow Time.