Space station crew might not be expanded

The Space Station as of March 2008.

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by Staff Writers
Moscow (UPI) Oct 11, 2008
Plans to add crew members to the International Space Station might be delayed, the head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos said Saturday.

RIA Novosti reported the space agency is considering a boost the number of astronauts on the space station from three to six in 2009.

"I doubt that the ISS crew will be increased to six people from next year because the final decision has not been taken yet," Roscosmos head Anatoly Perminov said. "All countries participating in the ISS program have to decide it."

Perminov said he would discuss the possible delay next week with Jean-Jacques Dordain, the head of the European Space Agency.

Russia is to launch a crew of three -- including U.S. astronaut Mike Fincke, Russian cosmonaut Yury Lonchakov and U.S. space tourist Richard Garriott -- to the International Space Station Sunday.

STATION NEWS

Expedition 18 Crew To Launch From Baikonur

Baikonur, Kazakhstan (SPX) Oct 10, 2008
Commander Edward Michael "Mike" Fincke and Flight Engineer Yury Valentinovich Lonchakov of the 18th International Space Station crew are scheduled to launch in their Soyuz TMA-13 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan about 3 a.m. EDT Sunday to begin a six-month stay in space.

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