Following Brazilian astronaut Marcus Pontes who will fly to the International Space Station in the spring of 2006, Japanese tourist Daisuke Enomoto will be the next to streak to the station

Monday, June 24, 2019

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“A preliminary contract with him was already signed: he is supposed to fly aboard a Soyuz spaceship next autumn,” said on Thursday chief of the manned programmes section of the Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos) Alexei Krasnov, speaking in an exclusive interview with Tass. The Japanese businessman “is now undergoing appropriate procedures at the Cosmonauts’ Training Center”. “We shall not drag feet with singing a contract. I hope that we shall complete everything this year,” Krasnov underlined. There are even plans for 2007. According to Krasnov, one seat at Soyuz is reserved for the first Malaysian cosmonaut. Russian specialists select two cosmonauts from Malaysia. For instance specialists from the Cosmonauts’ Training Center participate in the jury of the selection round of the nation-wide contest of candidates for the title “first Malayan in space”, announced late in 2003. Director general of the Malaysian National Space Agency Mazlana Otman explained that future astronauts are to be older than 21, have excellent health and to know Russian. The finals of the contest will be held in Moscow. The victor will be chosen between two finalists. An understanding on the flight of the first Malaysian cosmonaut to the ISS aboard a Soyuz spaceship was reached during the visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Malaysia in August 2003. According to Roskosmos head Anatoly Perminov, “following the screening, the question will arise on periods of a flight, order of training and financing of these cosmonauts”. As for the first Korean cosmonaut whose flight was also planned for 2007, according to Krasnov, “we are at the beginning of the discussion”. “Korean colleagues expressed their interest. I believe that we shall have consultations in the near future. We shall understand their wishes and shall set periods,” he added. In September 2004, Russia guaranteed at the top state level that it would shoulder the preparation of a flight of the first South Korean cosmonaut. The Joint Declaration, signed by the two heads of state, notes that the first South Korean cosmonaut will make a flight in 2007. “The interest was announced at the intergovernmental level. However, details have not been discussed so far,” Krasnov explained, noting that training for the flight takes around 13 months.

Print Following Brazilian astronaut Marcus Pontes who will fly to the International Space Station in the spring of 2006, Japanese tourist Daisuke Enomoto will be the next to streak to the station

Bookmark Following Brazilian astronaut Marcus Pontes who will fly to the International Space Station in the spring of 2006, Japanese tourist Daisuke Enomoto will be the next to streak to the station