Author
|
Topic: Russia reducing space station crew contingent
|
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 08-11-2016 08:13 AM
Roscosmos plans to reduce Russia's crew at the International Space Station from three to two cosmonauts, according to the Izvestia newspaper, citing Roscosmos manned programs director Sergei Krikalev, reports TASS. "Plans to reduce the crew stem from the fact that less cargo ships are sent to the ISS and from the necessity to boost the efficiency of the program," the newspaper quotes Krikalev.Apart from that, it will make it possible to lower expenses on the space station’s maintenance. ...Krikalev said this issue will be discussed with the Mission Control Center, the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems and ISS partners. |
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 09-14-2016 01:34 PM
The plan to reduce the Russian crew contingent on the space station to two will begin next spring and continue until the launch of Russia's Nauka Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM), expected in late 2017, according to a report by TASS. "In case the endorsed schedule is observed and the MLM gets into operation in December 2017, the curtailment will affect only one Russian crew," the source said. "Otherwise the practice of curtailment will continue until the commissioning of the module."...as part of the crew cuttailment plan, Roscomos may swap the crews due to go into space in March and in May. In March 2017, the Soyuz MS-04 ship is due to take to the ISS the cosmonaus Alexander Misurkin and Nikolai Tikhonov and NASA astronaut Mark Thomas Vande Hei, while the cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, NASA astronaut Jack David Fischer and the European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli of Italy are supposed to head for the ISS in May. The source told TASS Vande Hei is professional upgrading to Level 1 from 2 Flight Engineer. Should the third place on the Soyuz become vacant, the procedure for replacement of the crews may change and a young Russian cosmonaut may go into space with a visiting crew for a period of several days. |
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 09-26-2016 11:27 AM
According to Anatoly Zak (RussianSpaceWeb), reporting from the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Guadalajara, Mexico, via Twitter: First Russian two-member ISS crew in March 2017 to be accompanied by cargo; no tourists or foreign astronauts to hitchhike!Only one "tourist" seat might be available on Soyuz heading to ISS until 2018. |
cosmos-walter Member Posts: 691 From: Salzburg, Austria Registered: Jun 2003
|
posted 09-29-2016 08:17 AM
Due to the cut from three to two cosmonauts, Alexander Misurkin currently is scheduled to fly in September 2017 instead of March 2017. Editor's note: See the crew changes to Expedition 51 to Expedition 54 here. |
PowerCat Member Posts: 193 From: Herington, KS, USA Registered: Feb 2006
|
posted 03-27-2017 12:36 PM
I have been seeing some articles that the Russian Multipurpose Lab Module (MLM) is being delayed once again from launch due to contamination found. Seeing how the second half of the Expedition 51 crew will reduce the Russian contingency to two crew members, I wonder if the USOC crew level will stay at four or more for some time now? |
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 03-28-2017 08:50 PM
It is not yet clear when Roscosmos plans to return to having three cosmonauts aboard, but before they can launch Nauka (MLM), they have to conduct a number of spacewalks to prepare Pirs for jettison, which may necessitate the return a full contingent.For now, only two NASA astronauts have been assigned to fly as a fourth USOS crew member. |
Wehaveliftoff Member Posts: 2343 From: Registered: Aug 2001
|
posted 04-07-2017 03:13 PM
Peggy Whitson has been given the go ahead to stay an additional three months on the ISS due to the deletion of a Russian seat. |