Debbie Rahn/Kirsten Larson
Headquarters, Washington DC                                       April 27, 2001
(Phone: 202/358-1638/0243)

NOTE TO EDITORS: N01-27

INFORMATION FOR REPORTERS COVERING SOYUZ 2 TAXI MISSION

     A Russian Soyuz 2 spacecraft is scheduled to lift off from Baikonur, 
Kazakhstan, April 28, at 3:37 a.m. EDT, on its journey to the International 
Space Station. The new Soyuz will replace the current Soyuz lifeboat, which has 
been docked with the space station since November.

During the Soyuz 2 taxi mission, NASA Public Affairs will continue to provide 
information regarding operational activities aboard the International Space 
Station. However, due to the commercial nature of this mission, NASA's 
coverage of the Soyuz 2 crew's activities will be limited to normal operational 
activities onboard the station. The Russian Aviation and Space Agency has not 
contracted with NASA to provide Public Affairs services, therefore NASA will not 
provide additional coverage of the Soyuz 2 taxi crew activities.

Reporters wishing to arrange in-flight interviews with the Soyuz 2 crew or to 
obtain video of their activities should contact the Russian Mission Control 
Center 
Press Center, Korolev, Russia, at 7 095 516-5174.

The Soyuz crew members include Commander Talgat A. Musabaev, Soyuz 
Flight Engineer Yuri M. Baturin and Dennis Tito, an American businessman.

Tito is flying to the International Space Station as a paying, commercial 
passenger who has signed a contract with the Russian Aviation and Space 
Agency. NASA and its international partners have not been asked to participate 
in this commercial venture, nor have they contracted to provide any additional 
Public Affairs services during this flight. 

NASA Television is broadcast on satellite GE-2, transponder 9C, C-Band, 
located at 85 degrees West longitude. The frequency is 3880 MHz. Polarization 
is vertical and audio is monaural at 6.8 MHz.

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