Expedition Seven to Launch Tonight
The Expedition Seven crewmembers -- Commander Yuri Malenchenko and NASA ISS Science Officer Ed Lu -- are set to begin their journey to the International Space Station tonight. Final preparations are under way at Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, for the launch of their Soyuz rocket, which is slated for 10:54 p.m. CDT (0354 GMT Saturday). After two days in orbit, the Soyuz TMA-2 spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the international outpost at 12:56 a.m. CDT (0556 GMT) Monday

"The United States does not plan to provide extra funding to Russia's space program in part because it does not believe Moscow's claim that it cannot afford to service the International Space Stationon its own, a US diplomat said Thursday

Full story at: SpaceDaily.Com"

Arthur N1ORC found this useful document regarding the upcoming Expedition Seven.
You can read this PDF file directly from here:

Expedition 7 Mission Overview

Webster High School, Webster, N.Y. - TBD UTC

Klem Rhode South Elementary, N.Y. - TBD UTC

Stanford University Palo Alto Gunn High School, California - TBD UTC

It's very hard to foresee just how far and how sweeping the recommendations for change ultimately produced by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board will go.

Full 3 Page Story At: SpaceDaily.Com

Yesterday, on Monday April 21, at 18:30 utc, I had a very nice radio contact with Don Pettit aboard ISS.

4/21/03 @ 18:30 UTC

Don Pettit was heard by me talking to at least 2 amateur stations at the date and time above.
Unsure as to whether or not this was a scheduled school contact, as this was a bad pass for my station.
If it was a random contact, any info from the stations contacted would be welcome here on the Fan Club site.

73's de N9OEW

Shuttle program manager Ron Dittemore plans to return to work in private industry, the Times quoted officials at the Johnson Space Center in Houston Texas as saying.

Full Story At: SpaceDaily.Com

The ARRL Letter from The American Radio Relay League reports that International Space Station Expedition 6 Crew Commander Ken Bowersox, KD5JBP, deftly managed 30 questions put to him this week during a 10-minute Amateur Radio contact with 15 New Jersey students.

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Subject: Lyrid Meteor Shower, ISS Moon-transit Movie

Space Weather News for April 20, 2003
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