[FPSPACE] Space Station astronaut's wife gives birth

[james oberg]

Jim O advises: a sweet story, but not a 'first' -- at least one Russian cosmonaut,
Leonid Kizim, was in space, in 1984, when his wife back on Earth gave birth.

Anybody know of any others?


Updated Friday, June 18, 2004 01:19 PM EDT

Dad's literally in orbit over birth of daughter

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - U.S. astronaut Michael Fincke beamed back some good news from the International Space Station today: His wife gave birth back on Earth to their second child. 

"We'd like to proudly announce the birth of our daughter. Her name is Tarali Paulina. Tara in many Indian dialects means 'star,' and our first boy, his name is Chandra, which means moon,'" Fincke told colleagues at NASA's Mission Control Center in Houston. 

"So my wife had already given me the moon. Now she's given me a star."

"That's awesome," a flight controller told Fincke. "We're real happy for you guys." 

Fincke family spokesperson Judy Hayes said the couple was not releasing the weight and length of the baby girl. But both mother Renita, 2-year-old Chandra and the baby are doing fine, Hayes said.

Fincke was able to see his offspring during a private videoconference, she added.

Fincke was aboard the station, rather than with his wife, due to an unexpected crew shuffle back in February. Fellow astronaut William McArthur had been slated to fly on the ninth expedition to the outpost but had to bow out as a result of a "temporary medical issue."

Consequently, Fincke - who had been slated to fly to the station this fall - was pressed into service six months earlier than planned.

He and station commander Gennady Padalka launched to the outpost April 18. They'll return to Earth in October. 
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