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CNN Live At Daybreak

Countdown Underway for First Manned Space Flight Since Colombia Disaster

Aired April 25, 2003 - 06:20   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The countdown underway now for the first manned space flight since the Shuttle Colombia disaster. An American astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut will blast off on a Russian Soyuz rocket tonight. Their destination? The international space station.
CNN Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty joins us live with more -- good morning, Jill.

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, you know, the shuttle tragedy really is on the minds of these two men. We talked with Edward Lu when he was out training here in Moscow and he said we thought about it, it was very difficult in the beginning, but we have a job to do and we're set to do it. And he said, in fact, they're looking forward to it.

So, what they've, this new crew has to, of course, make it to the international space station and they were supposed to be taking the shuttle. But, of course, after the shuttle tragedy, NASA grounded all of the shuttles and they won't fly until they find out what caused the tragedy.

So, all of the burden for getting up there and getting supplies to the ISS fell on the shoulders of the Russians.

So at this moment, out in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, which is still where Russia launches all of its missiles and rockets from, there is a giant Soyuz rocket on the launching pad ready to be taking off -- actually, your time it would be tonight, Friday night -- for the ISS. The new crew, Edward Lu, who is the American, and Yuri Malenchenko, the Russian, will be going up.

But it's going to be kind of a different ballgame this time because there will be only two of them. Normally it's three people on the ISS, but they want to preserve supplies, water, food and other things. So they're just going to have two people up there at this point.

They also won't be doing any space walks unless they have to for some emergency and they're going to be eating Russian food. And, as I told you, Carol, Edward Lu thinks that Russian soups are just great. He's told me that there are about five or six that they have and he's prepared for Russian soups, I'm sure other food, as well.

They will be up there on the space station for six months and then coming back. But really for the foreseeable future it's these Russian vehicles that are going to have to be taking people to and from the ISS. And Russia, right after the tragedy, said look, we don't have the money. But they eventually, with some pressure from the Kremlin, did come up with the money and the U.S. is saying that is a very good sign for the future. They're building more of these space ships and at this point that's how they will be going to and from -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Jill Dougherty, thanks for bringing us up to date.

Many thanks.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




Colombia Disaster>


Aired April 25, 2003 - 06:20   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The countdown underway now for the first manned space flight since the Shuttle Colombia disaster. An American astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut will blast off on a Russian Soyuz rocket tonight. Their destination? The international space station.
CNN Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty joins us live with more -- good morning, Jill.

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, you know, the shuttle tragedy really is on the minds of these two men. We talked with Edward Lu when he was out training here in Moscow and he said we thought about it, it was very difficult in the beginning, but we have a job to do and we're set to do it. And he said, in fact, they're looking forward to it.

So, what they've, this new crew has to, of course, make it to the international space station and they were supposed to be taking the shuttle. But, of course, after the shuttle tragedy, NASA grounded all of the shuttles and they won't fly until they find out what caused the tragedy.

So, all of the burden for getting up there and getting supplies to the ISS fell on the shoulders of the Russians.

So at this moment, out in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, which is still where Russia launches all of its missiles and rockets from, there is a giant Soyuz rocket on the launching pad ready to be taking off -- actually, your time it would be tonight, Friday night -- for the ISS. The new crew, Edward Lu, who is the American, and Yuri Malenchenko, the Russian, will be going up.

But it's going to be kind of a different ballgame this time because there will be only two of them. Normally it's three people on the ISS, but they want to preserve supplies, water, food and other things. So they're just going to have two people up there at this point.

They also won't be doing any space walks unless they have to for some emergency and they're going to be eating Russian food. And, as I told you, Carol, Edward Lu thinks that Russian soups are just great. He's told me that there are about five or six that they have and he's prepared for Russian soups, I'm sure other food, as well.

They will be up there on the space station for six months and then coming back. But really for the foreseeable future it's these Russian vehicles that are going to have to be taking people to and from the ISS. And Russia, right after the tragedy, said look, we don't have the money. But they eventually, with some pressure from the Kremlin, did come up with the money and the U.S. is saying that is a very good sign for the future. They're building more of these space ships and at this point that's how they will be going to and from -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Jill Dougherty, thanks for bringing us up to date.

Many thanks.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




Colombia Disaster>