As the Expedition Two crew gets settled aboard the
International Space Station, American crew members for future
space station missions have begun formal training to meet
launch dates, beginning in 2002.
The 14 astronauts, six assigned to primary crews and eight
assigned to backup crews, will join a corps of expedition
astronauts and cosmonauts previously named to the first four
International Space Station expeditions. Russian members of
these new expedition crews will be formally announced in the
near future.
“These assignments signal that the space station is ready for
long-term operations,” said Charlie Precourt, the chief of
the Astronaut Office at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in
Houston, TX. “We have an outstanding corps of highly
qualified astronauts who will complete assembly and take the
station into a new era of scientific research in space.”
The Expedition Five crew will consist of astronaut Peggy
Whitson (Ph.D.) and two Russian cosmonauts, one of whom will
be the mission commander. This will be Whitson’s first space
flight. She was selected as an astronaut in 1996 after
serving in a number of research positions at Johnson.
Astronaut Scott J. Kelly (Lt. Cmdr., USN), who flew on STS-
103 in 1999, will serve as Whitson’s backup.
Kenneth Bowersox (Capt. USN) will command the Expedition Six
crew that includes astronaut Donald Thomas (Ph.D.) and a
Russian cosmonaut. Bowersox will be taking his fifth trip to
space, having flown on STS-50 in 1992, STS-61 in 1993, STS-73
in 1995, and STS-82 in 1997. Bowersox also trained as a
backup crew member to Bill Shepherd on the first expedition
crew. Thomas, another veteran astronaut, flew in space on
STS-65 in 1994, STS-70 in 1995, STS-83 in 1997, and STS-94 in
1997. Carlos I. Noriega (Lt. Col., USMC) is the backup
commander to Bowersox, and Donald Pettit (Ph.D.) will back up
Thomas. Noriega flew on STS-84 in 1997 and STS-97 in 2000,
and Pettit is a space rookie.
American astronaut Ed Lu (Ph.D.) along with a Russian
commander and flight engineer make up the Expedition Seven
crew. Lu will take his third trip to space, having flown on
STS-84 in 1997 and STS-106 in 2000. Paul Richards, also
aboard the STS-102 mission, will serve as a backup to Lu.
Astronaut Michael Foale (Ph.D.), serving as commander of
Expedition Eight, will have William McArthur (Col., USA) and
a Russian cosmonaut as flight engineers. Foale has flown in
space five times, including a long-duration stay aboard Mir
in 1997. He served as a member of STS-45 in 1992, STS-56 in
1993, STS-63 in 1995, STS-84 and STS-86 on his trip to Mir,
and STS-103 in 1999. McArthur will be taking his fourth trip
into space, having flown on STS-58 in 1993, STS-74 in 1995,
and STS-92 in 2000. Leroy Chiao (Ph.D.) is training as backup
commander for Foale, and John Phillips (Ph.D.) will be
McArthur’s backup. Chiao is a space veteran with three
missions, STS-65, STS-72, and STS-92, and Phillips is
currently training for his first flight, STS-100, scheduled
to launch in April 2001.
A list of all astronauts and cosmonauts in training at
Johnson, along with their biographical data, can be found on
the Internet at:
