US and Japanese astronauts Kjell N. Lindgren and KimiyaYui
have been officially approved as new crew members to fly to the
International Space Station on July 23, a spokesman for the Russian
Cosmonaut Training Centre told TASS on Wednesday.
"The prime and backup crews of the new ISS expedition have been approved," the spokesman said.
Russian veteran cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, who has already made two spaceflights and conducted three spacewalks, will lead the crew.
The backup crew comprises Russia’s Yuri Malenchenko, NASA’s Timothy Kopra and Timothy Peake of the European Space Agency.
A Soyuz-FG carrier rocket with the Soyuz TMA-17M piloted spacecraft is
expected to blast off on July 23 from the Baikonur space centre in
Kazakhstan.
Both crews will arrive in Baikonur on July 10 to complete their pre-flight training.
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