A Russian Soyuz 2 spacecraft is scheduled to lift off from Baikonur,
Kazakhstan, April 28, at 3:37 a.m. EDT, on its journey to the International
Space Station. The new Soyuz will replace the current Soyuz lifeboat, which has
been docked with the space station since November.
During the Soyuz 2 taxi mission, NASA Public Affairs will continue to provide
information regarding operational activities aboard the International Space
Station. However, due to the commercial nature of this mission, NASA’s
coverage of the Soyuz 2 crew’s activities will be limited to normal operational
activities onboard the station. The Russian Aviation and Space Agency has not
contracted with NASA to provide Public Affairs services, therefore NASA will not
provide additional coverage of the Soyuz 2 taxi crew activities.
Reporters wishing to arrange in-flight interviews with the Soyuz 2 crew or to
obtain video of their activities should contact the Russian Mission Control
Center
Press Center, Korolev, Russia, at 7 095 516-5174.
The Soyuz crew members include Commander Talgat A. Musabaev, Soyuz
Flight Engineer Yuri M. Baturin and Dennis Tito, an American businessman.
Tito is flying to the International Space Station as a paying, commercial
passenger who has signed a contract with the Russian Aviation and Space
Agency. NASA and its international partners have not been asked to participate
in this commercial venture, nor have they contracted to provide any additional
Public Affairs services during this flight.
NASA Television is broadcast on satellite GE-2, transponder 9C, C-Band,
located at 85 degrees West longitude. The frequency is 3880 MHz. Polarization
is vertical and audio is monaural at 6.8 MHz.
