. | . |
South Korean Astronauts Set For Training In Russia
Seoul (AFP) Feb 18, 2007 South Korea's first two potential astronauts will this month start a year of training in Russia before one of them heads to the International Space Station, officials said Sunday. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute said the pair will leave on February 27 and begin training at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center from March 7 after a week of medical check-ups. Officials weighed the merits of some 36,000 applicants before selecting researcher Ko San, 30, and female Ph.D. candidate Yi So-Yeon, 28, in December after a live TV appearance along with four other potential finalists. Only one will be chosen to travel aboard the Russian spacecraft Soyuz and undertake 18 scientific experiments at the International Space Station during his or her week-long mission in April 2008. South Korea will be the 36th country since Russia with Yuri Gagarin in 1961 to put a man -- or woman -- into space. It will cost some 26 billion won (28 million dollars). Along with an astronaut the nation is planning to send into space some kimchi -- the much-loved national dish of spicy fermented cabbage. A state-run food research body is pushing ahead with a scheme to develop the food so that it can be eaten in space.
Source: Agence France-Presse Email This Article
Related Links
Russia Confirms Start Of Countdown For Fifth Space Tourist Moscow (AFP) Feb 20, 2007 The world's next space tourist, Hungarian-born US billionaire Charles Simonyi, will blast off on his journey to the International Space Station on April 7, Russia's space agency said Tuesday. Simonyi will become only the fifth space tourist in the world when he makes the trip the research facility aboard the Russian vessel Soyuz TMA-10. |
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |