First Ukrainian astronaut Kadeniuk believes Ukrainian astronaut's flight to ISS will happen in long-term outlook
Kyiv, February 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Independent Ukraine's first astronaut Leonid Kadeniuk says he believes that a Ukrainian astronaut may participate in research on the International Space Station (ISS), but this is not likely in the near-term outlook.
Commenting on negotiations with Russia's Roskosmos on this issue at Interfax-Ukraine's request on Monday, he said that today the sides are considering various options for cooperation. Among them is a proposal by Russia on the participation of a Ukrainian astronaut in a full-scale three-year space flight training program as part of the Russian crew for a long-term scientific mission aboard the ISS's Russian section. The Russian side also proposes short-term cooperation - a short-term flight by a Ukrainian astronaut to the ISS on a newly built Soyuz-type spacecraft.
According to Kadeniuk, all of the crews [being prepared in Russia for flights] have already been assigned until the year 2012, as "even three to three-and-a-half years are not enough to get prepared for a space flight."