SITUATION A THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION








CENTER CONTROL OF the SPACE FLIGHTS (area of Moscow), March 14.
(Corr. Ria " Novosti " Edouard Pouzyrev).  The unloading of the module
" Leonardo " containing scientific and data-processing equipment for
the International Space Station (ISS) is done in advance on the
calendar and will be acheve Thursday instead of Friday, has
advertisement Wednesday the spokesman of NASA in the Center of control
of the space flights (TSOUP) Serguei Pouzanov.

Work is carry out by the crew unifies astronauts of the ISS and
shuttle " Discovery " which A conveys, last Saturday, the module "
Leonardo " has the ISS.  The crew east composes of ten people
including three Russian cosmonauts, Serguei Krikalev and Iouri
Guidzenko (1st crew of the ISS) and Iouri Oussatchev, controlling 2nd
crew of the ISS.

Thursday, the astronauts will go up the orbit of the ISS which pese
more than 200 tons with the shuttle americaine " Discovery " and goes
down daily from tens of meters, according to TSOUP'S.

Friday, the module " Leonardo " that will be from now on uses for the
transport of equipment has the ISS, will be demonte and put in the
compartment of the shuttle.

March 18, " Discovery " and the ISS will separeront themselves and the
shuttle americaine will land on March 20 while bringing back on Earth
the 1st crew of the ISS which A works has its edge since November 2
2000.

The 2nd permanent crew of the station which will include/understand
two astronauts americains James Voss and Susan Helms and will be
command by the Russian cosmonaut Iouri Oussatchev, will remain has
edge of the ISS until A September.