[FPSPACE] Russian cargo craft docks with space station -Tass

[JamesOberg@aol.com]

Russian cargo craft docks with space station -Tass

17:01EDT  08-08-00
  
MOSCOW, Aug 8 (Reuters) - A cargo craft carrying supplies docked with the 
International Space Station on Tuesday in preparation for the first long-term 
manned mission to the orbital laboratory, officials were quoted as saying. 

Itar-Tass news agency quoted officials at Mission Control outside Moscow as 
saying that the Progress M1-3 had docked with the station at 2013 GMT. The 
space station, being built jointly by the United States, Russia, Europe and 
Japan, has been described as one of the most ambitious engineering projects 
ever and will cost up to $60 billion. 

When complete, in 2005 according to schedule, it will loom seven storeys high 
and become one of the brightest objects in the night sky. Seven full-time 
crew members will live and work in a space as big as the cabin of a Boeing 
747 jumbo jet. 

Russia sent into orbit the Zvezda living quarters module last month, making 
possible a four-month mission to the station by two Russians and one American 
planned to begin on October 30.