Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Bob Thirsk has been selected as a backup mission specialist and is now training with European and Russian crewmembers in preparation for a Soyuz flight scheduled for launch and rendezvous with the International Space Station in April 2005.
As a backup mission specialist for ESA Astronaut Roberto Vittori of Italy, Bob Thirsk will also join Russian Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev and NASA Astronaut John Phillips, who are currently training at Star City outside Moscow. The Soyuz Mission will launch in April from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The mission will exchange expedition crews and replace the Soyuz spacecraft on the space station. Soyuz TMA spacecraft are exchanged every six months, providing expedition crew living and working onboard the station with an emergency rescue vehicle. The training of backup crewmembers is an important function and a precaution exercised to ensure the success of every space mission.
“I am pleased to represent Canada for this back-up flight assignment. Roberto Vittori, my colleague from Italy, is a fine astronaut and I am honoured to train alongside him. This training opportunity offered to me is another example of a beneficial collaboration between the Canadian and European Space Agencies”, said Bob Thirsk. “While my training program over the next four months will be intensive, I look forward to the challenge.”
Jean-Jacques Dordain, Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA), has extended the invitation for a Canadian Astronaut to take part in the preparation for this Soyuz Mission to the station. The announcement today reaffirms the outstanding collaboration between Canada and Europe, which continues to leverage technological, scientific and industrial discovery, exploration, and applications to deliver far-reaching social and economic benefits for all our citizens.