Julie Simard<br />Relations avec les médias<br />Agence spatiale canadienne<br />Tél. : (450) 926-4370<br />julie.simard@espace.gc.ca<br /><br /><br />****************************************************************************<br />*******<br />Canadian Contribution to Soyuz Space Mission Eneide<br /><br />Longueuil, Quebec, April 12, 2005 - Last December, we announced that<br />Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Robert Thirsk had been selected as a backup<br />flight engineer and was training with European and Russian crewmembers. The<br />training was for the Soyuz flight and the Eneide mission that will<br />rendezvous with the International Space Station is now scheduled for launch<br />on April 14, 2005.<br /><br />If Italian Astronaut Roberto Vittori flies as planned aboard the Soyuz<br />capsule, Robert Thirsk will assume the role of Crew Interface Coordinator<br />(CIC). After attending the launch in Kazakhstan, he will head to the newly<br />operational Columbus Control Centre located in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany.<br />During this 10-day mission, should Roberto Vittori encounter any<br />difficulties with the science experiments conducted aboard the Space Station<br />Robert Thirsk, who received the same training will work to find a solution<br />with the other members of the ground control team.<br /><br /><br />WHEN Launch is on Thursday, April 14, 2005 at 8:46 p.m. EDT<br /> Launch will be broadcast live on NASA TV from 8 p.m.<br />EDT<br />(Satellite AMC-6, at 72 degrees west longitude, Transponder 9, 3880 MHz,<br />vertical polarization, audio at 6.8 MHz)<br /><br /><br />WHERE Baïkonour, Kazakhstan<br /><br /><br />Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Robert Thirsk will be available for<br />telephone interviews during the mission.<br /><br />Information about the Eneide mission is available online (www.space.gc.ca)<br />including backgrounders, photos and interview clips, mission highlights, and<br />Robert Thirsk's journal.<br /><br />-30-<br /><br />To book an interview, or for more information please contact:<br /><br />Julie Simard<br />Media Relations<br />Canadian Space Agency<br />Tel.: (450) 926-4370<br />julie.simard@space.gc.ca