Simonyi boards space station

Stephen Withers
Tuesday, 10 April 2007 12:46

Science - Space

Charles Simonyi, the latest space tourist, is now aboard the International Space Station after a two-day trip from Russia's Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Simonyi and Russian cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov transferred from their Soyuz capsule to the ISS approximately 90 minutes after the successful automatic docking.

Among the provisions carried by the capsule is a special dinner to mark Cosmonauts' Day on April 12, the anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's first manned spaceflight. The menu, which features quail, duck and chicken, was selected by Simonyi's close friend, domestic guru Martha Stewart.

Stewart watched the docking from mission control outside Moscow, and later spoke to Simonyi.
 
Video of Simonyi and the ISS crew is available at Charles In Space.

Former Microsoft employee Simonyi, who reportedly paid $US25 million for the trip, is scheduled to return to Earth on April 20, along with Mission 14 crew members Mikhail Tyurin and Miguel Lopez-Alegria.