Russia's stranded Mars probe sends signal to Earth

2011-11-23T10:30:39Z

Engineers fought desperately on Wednesday to save Russia's Phobos-Grunt spacecraft after the Martian probe sent "a first sign of life" more than two weeks after being stranded in orbit.

After days of frustrating silence, contact with the probe was made on Tuesday at 2025 GMT at a European Space Agency ground station in Perth,

Russia brings astronauts safely back to Earth

2011-11-22T10:30:33Z

Three astronauts landed safely in the Kazakh steppe aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule on Tuesday after a stay of over five months aboard the International Space Station, Russian mission control said.

American Mike Fossum, Japan's Satoshi Furukawa and

China spacecraft returns to Earth after docking test

2011-11-17T04:30:16Z

BEIJING (Reuters) - An unmanned Chinese spacecraft returned to Earth successfully on Thursday after more than two weeks in orbit, marking a pivotal moment for the rising power's plans to secure a long-term manned foothold in space.

The Shenzhou 8 spacecraft touched down in northern China's Inner

New crew arrives at ISS

2011-11-16T14:30:53Z

A spacecraft carrying two Russians and an American docked Wednesday with the International Space Station in the first Russian manned mission for five months after a spate of technical failures.

The glitch-free docking of the Soyuz TMA-22 came after a textbook launch on Monday and was a huge boost to Russia which postponed the mission in the...

Russian, U.S. crew safely dock with space station

2011-11-16T06:30:28Z

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Three astronauts in Russia's Soyuz spacecraft safely docked with the International Space Station on Wednesday, to the relief of agenc...

Russian spacecraft docks with ISS

2011-11-16T05:30:22Z

A spacecraft carrying two Russians and an American astronaut docked Wednesday with the International Space Station in the first Russian manned mission for five months after a spate of technical failures.

The glitch-free docking of the Soyuz TMA-22 came after a textbook launch on Monday and was a huge boost to Russia which postponed the missi...

Russia sends astronauts back to space after mishaps

2011-11-14T13:30:36Z

Russia on Monday successfully resumed sending astronauts to the International Space Station after a break of over five months forced by the crash of a Russian spaceship into Siberia.

Two Russians and an American blasted off to the orbiting laboratory on a Soyuz-FG rocket, Russia's first manned mission since t...

U.S. and Russian crew blast off safely for space station

2011-11-14T03:30:14Z

KOROLYOV, Russia (Reuters) - Three astronauts blasted off on Monday to return a full crew to the International Space Station (ISS) as Russia seeks to restore confidence in its space program after the crash of ...

Russian, U.S. crew blast off safely for space station

2011-11-13T22:00:05Z

Russian, U.S. crew blast off for space station

2011-11-13T21:00:19Z

KOROLYOV, Russia (Reuters) - Three astronauts blasted off Monday to restore a full crew to the International Space Station (ISS) after the crash of a Russian cargo spaceship disrupted operations and undermined...

Russia to return full crew to space station after crash

2011-11-13T14:00:14Z

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Three astronauts will take off Monday returning a full crew to the International Space Station (ISS) after the crash of a Russian cargo spaceship disrupted operations and undermined faith in...

Russia set to resume manned spaceflight after failures

2011-11-13T11:30:18Z

Russia will on Monday launch three astronauts for the International Space Station on a key mission Moscow hopes will restore faith in its space programme after an unprecedented string of failures.

Two Russians and one American will blast off on a Soyuz-FG rocket from Russia's MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's unsuccessful launch of a Mars moon probe points up the problems of a once-pioneering space industry struggling to recover after a generation of brain drain and crimped budgets.

An unmanned craft, launched la...

Russia resumes manned spaceflight after failures

2011-11-12T20:30:19Z

Russia on Monday launches three astronauts for the International Space Station on a key mission Moscow hopes will restore faith in its space programme after an unprecedented string of failures.

Two Russians and one American will blast off on a Soyuz-FG rocket from Russia's

Russia Mars probe considered lost: report

2011-11-12T14:30:36Z

Efforts to resume contact with a Russian space mission to Mars stuck in Earth orbit after launch have failed and the probe must be considered lost, Interfax news agency reported Saturday.

"All attempts to obtain telemetric information from the Phobos-Grunt probe and activate its command system have failed. The probe must be considered los...

Russia fails to revive stranded Mars probe

2011-11-10T13:30:29Z

Increasingly gloomy Russian scientists failed in repeated attempts on Thursday to give a vital boost to a pioneering Mars probe that got stuck in a low Earth orbit and now threatens to crash within days.

The unmanned Phobos-Grunt spacecraft lost its course to the Red Planet and its fabled moon Phobos -- a mysterious rock whose name means "fear" in Greek -- after blasting off from Russi...

Russian probe fails to take route for Mars

2011-11-09T13:30:23Z

An unmanned Russian spacecraft on a mission to a Mars moon failed Wednesday to find the right course to the red planet, a potentially devastating blow to Moscow's hopes of resuming planetary exploration.

The Phobos-Grunt probe blasted off successfully from the Baikonur cosmodrome overnight but did not manage to leave its Earth orbit as planned several hours...

Russia launches first ISS supply ship after mishap

2011-11-07T10:02:11Z

Russia on Sunday launched its first supply ship destined for the International Space Station since the embarrassing loss of a similar vessel in August raised questions about its space programme.

The unmanned Progress spacecraft took off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in

Mars' moon lander to return Russia to deep space

2011-11-07T06:30:06Z

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia hopes to end a humiliating two-decade absence from deep space with the launch on Wednesday of an ambitious three-year mission to bring back a soil sample from Mars' moon Phobos.

Russian scientists have dreamed of probing the Red Plan...

Mars crew "lands" after 520 days in isolation

2011-11-04T08:00:14Z

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Pale-faced but smiling, the crew of a long-duration isolation study emerged bleary-eyed to daylight and applause Friday after 520 days locked away in windowless, cramped cells to simulate the length of a journey to Mars.

The $15 million Mars500 experiment aims to answer one of the bi...

Fake Mars mission to open hatch on 520 days isolation

2011-11-03T10:31:01Z

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The crew of an isolation experiment to simulate a 520-day mission to Mars are in the final countdown before the opening on Friday of the hatch on the windowless cells in which they have been locked away since June last year.

The $15-million Mars500 experiment aims to answer one of th...

Russian craft delivers supplies to space station

2011-11-02T06:30:35Z

MOSCOW (Reuters) - An unmanned Russian spacecraft delivered supplies to astronauts in orbit Wednesday after the crash of the previous cargo flight left the three-man crew on the International Space Station wit...

China launches spacecraft ahead of docking test

2011-10-31T19:30:33Z

BEIJING (Reuters) - China launched an unmanned spacecraft on Tuesday ahead of a docking exercise that will be a key test of the rising power's plans to secure a long-term manned foothold in space.

A Long March rocket blasted off from northwest China before dawn, lofting the Shenzhou 8 spacecraft into an i...

China plans 2012 manned space flight after docking test

2011-10-31T00:30:05Z

BEIJING (Reuters) - China will launch up to two manned space missions in 2012 as it hones the skills needed to secure a long-term manned presence in outer space, an official spokeswoman said on Monday, on the eve of the launch of an unmanned spacecraft.

The spokeswoman for MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia launched its first unmanned space flight to supply the International Space Station Sunday since an August crash left a half-sized crew on t...

Russia poised to resume space station flights

2011-10-28T12:00:55Z

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - A Russian cargo ship is poised for liftoff on Sunday to the International Space Station following a launch accident in August that cut staffing ...

U.S. astronaut eager for "sports car" space ride

2011-10-24T10:00:07Z

STAR CITY, Russia (Reuters) - Veteran U.S. astronaut Daniel Burbank said on Monday he was eager to fly Russia's Soyuz spacecraft to the International Spa...

Soyuz rocket blasts off from French Guiana

2011-10-21T04:00:08Z

KOUROU, French Guiana (Reuters) - A Russian Soyuz rocket blasted off from French Guiana Friday bearing the first two satellites in Europe's Galileo global positioning system.

The launch from Europe's space base in South...

Europe sets sights again on Soyuz launch

2011-10-20T20:30:32Z

Engineers were eyeing a second bid at the historic launch of a Soyuz rocket from Europe's space base in South America after a countdown was scrubbed by a refuelling hitch.

The Soviet-Russian lifter, which traces its ancestry to the dawn of the space age more than half a century ago, is set to make its first launch outside of Russia<...

Maiden launch of Soyuz with sat-nav payload delayed

2011-10-20T12:00:29Z

Europe announced a 24-hour delay in the maiden launch Thursday of a Russian rocket laden with the first satellites in a rival scheme to America's GPS geopositioning system.

The first launch of the legendary Soyuz from Europe's space base was scrubbed some two hours before lift-off after a problem developed in fuelling the rocket's third stage, LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (Reuters) - An extra year of buying rides for astronauts to the International Space Station will cost the <...

Space taxi delays spur Bigelow Aerospace layoffs

2011-10-19T17:00:11Z

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (Reuters) - A start-up space company building inflatable habitats for commercial and government lease has laid off half its staff because of delays developing space taxis needed to fly people to the outposts, the company president said on Wednesday.

Russians see room for moonbase in lunar lava caves

2011-10-19T09:01:22Z

STAR CITY, Russia (Reuters) - The United States may have put the first man on the moon, but Russian scientists and space explorers are now gazing at a new goal -- setting up a colony on the moon.

The discovery of volcanic tunnels on the moon could provide a natural shelter for t...

Soyuz set for first French Guiana launch

2011-10-19T09:01:19Z

PARIS (Reuters) - A Russian Soyuz rocket will blast off from French Guiana on Thursday in a new East-West partnership designed to redraw commercial competition in space.

The scheduled lift-off is the first time that Soyuz, which first flew in 1966 and traces its roots back even further to the earliest Cold War intercontinental ballist...

Russia blames scientists for rocket crashes

2011-10-18T20:30:34Z

Russia's chief prosecutor on Tuesday blamed a recent spate of disasters threatening the future of the International Space Station (ISS) on negligence by the country's underpaid rocket scientists.

A probe into the August 24 crash of the unmanned Progress cargo ship and an August 18 error that put Russia's biggest satellite in the wrong orbit blamed both m...

Huge stakes riding on maiden Soyuz launch from Kourou

2011-10-16T15:30:28Z

Prestige and a multi-billion-dollar gamble in satellite navigation will be riding on a Soyuz rocket next Thursday when the Soviet-era workhorse launches from Europe's space base in South America.

It will be the first time that the legendary rocket, which traces its lineage to Sputnik and Gagarin, has been deployed outside Russia

Russia launches first Soyuz rocket since August crash

2011-10-02T19:30:31Z

A Russian Soyuz-2 rocket launched a GLONASS navigation satellite on Sunday, the defence ministry said, in the first launch since a freighter carried by the flagship vehicle crashed into Earth in August.

Russia has "successfully completed the launch of a Soyuz-2 rocket with the GLONASS-M (satellite) at 0015 (2015 GMT)," Colonel Alexei Zolotukhin was quoted as saying by the Russia on Wednesday successfully launched a military satellite after a three-week delay caused by the failure of one its workhorse Proton-M rockets, the Roskosmos space agency said.

The satellite, which was launched "in the interests of the ministry of defence," reached orbit nine minutes after takeoff from the International Space Station on Friday as Russia again pushed back the launch of their replacement crew because of a recent rocket crash.

Space officials said the Soyuz capsule landed on its side in the wind-swept steppes of the ex-Soviet republic of K...

Russia postpones next manned launch to ISS

2011-09-16T07:30:24Z

Russia on Friday said the next manned launch taking astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) would take place two days later than previously announced, on November 14.

"The next manned launch is planned for November 14," the head of the Russian space agen...

Crew makes safe return to Earth after space crash

2011-09-16T02:33:28Z

Three astronauts returned safely to Earth from the International Space Station aboard a Soviet-era capsule whose mission follows an unprecedented spate of Russian space accidents.

Space officials said the Soyuz TMA-21 capsule landed on its side in the wind-swept steppes of the ex-Soviet republic of Kazakhstan at 0400 GMT on Friday.

Crew leaves space station in Soviet-era capsule

2011-09-15T19:30:23Z

Three astronauts began their return to Earth from the International Space Station on Friday aboard a Soviet-era capsule whose mission follows an unprecedented spate of Russian space accidents.

The Moscow-based Roskosmos space agency said the ...

Trio of space station crewmembers set for landing

2011-09-15T16:00:15Z

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Three International Space Station crewmembers climbed aboard a Soyuz capsule prepared for their return to Earth on Thursday, with their replacem...

Russia sets first post-crash manned flight for November

2011-09-13T16:30:40Z

Russia on Tuesday set its next manned space flight to the International Space Station for November and said it will not let the orbiter be abandoned despite a recent accident involving its workhorse Soyuz rocket.

"According to the schedule ... the launch of the manned Soyuz spaceships (has been set for) November 12 and December 20 of this year,"

Russia sets space crew's return after crash

2011-09-12T15:30:19Z

Russia said Monday it would return three of the six international crew members on board the International Space Station to Earth later this week despite no immediate plans to send up their replacement.

A Russian Mission Control Centre official told RIA Novosti that the two Ru...

Russia blames 'chance' defect for space crash

2011-09-09T07:30:26Z

Russia on Friday blamed a one-off production fault in a rocket engine for the crash of an unmanned spaceship last month but nevertheless ordered checks of all similar rocket motors.

The Russian space agency Roskosmos said in a statement that the motor of the third-stage rocket blasting the craft into orbit failed because a blocked duct cut...

NASA mulls 'what-ifs' of unmanned space station

2011-09-06T17:30:26Z

NASA is mulling the worst-case scenarios of leaving the $100 billion International Space Station unstaffed for a period of time following the crash of a Russian rocket, US astronauts said Tuesday.

Two Americans aboard the ISS, Ron Garan and Mike Fossum, told reporters in a video ...

NASA warns 'risk of losing' space station rising

2011-08-30T19:30:38Z

The risk of an unprecedented evacuation of the International Space Station will spike if Russian craft cannot resume their missions and return by November, a senior NASA official has warned.

"There is a greater risk of losing the ISS when it's unmanned than if it were manned," Michael Suffredini...

Russia delays next manned space flight

2011-08-29T15:30:38Z

Russia on Monday delayed its next manned mission to the International Space Station (ISS) by at least a month after an unmanned cargo vessel crashed into Siberia instead of reaching orbit.

The head of Russia's manned spaceflight programme also warned that a significantly longer delay would force the six peopl...

Russia 'may delay manned space launch' after crash

2011-08-26T06:30:25Z

Russia may delay the next manned launch for the International Space Station (ISS) after an unmanned space vessel crashed into Siberia instead of reaching orbit, a news report said on Friday.

The planned September 22 launch could be delayed to give specialists time to work out the precise cause of the crash of...

Russia 'grounds Soyuz rockets' after space crash

2011-08-25T13:30:34Z

Russia on Thursday grounded its Soyuz rockets after a space ship carrying tonnes of cargo for the International Space Station (ISS) crashed into Siberia shortly after blast-off, officials said.

The failed launch of the unmanned Progress capsule on a Soyuz-U rocket was a spectacular blow for Russia which proud...

Russia's recent catalogue of space disasters

2011-08-25T09:30:21Z

The failed launch of the unmanned Progress cargo space craft which crashed into Earth instead of delivering supplies to the ISS was the latest in a spate of mishaps in the Russian space programme.

The accidents are particularly embarrassing for Russia in the year it celebrates the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's first manned space flight and has become the sole nation...

Russian spaceship crashes back to Earth

2011-08-24T18:30:23Z

An unmanned Russian spaceship with tonnes of cargo for the International Space Station crashed into Siberia shortly after blast-off Wednesday in the latest blow to the country's embattled space programme.

The unprecedented accident raised concerns over the reserves of the six crew members on board the station and clouded the future of an ISS programme ...

Russia grounds rockets after launch failure

2011-08-23T13:30:39Z

Russia on Tuesday grounded its workhorse Proton-M rockets after the latest in a string of launch mishaps put a prized telecommunications satellite into the wrong orbit.

Thursday's accident has already reportedly prompted an angry Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to cancel a government meeting on space issues and marks another blow to an industry reeling from five failed...

Satellite loss deals 'severe blow' to Russia: experts

2011-08-19T10:30:38Z

The loss of a communications satellite touted as Europe's most powerful is a new blow to Russia's space programme and a major setback for its telecoms industry, officials and analysts said Friday.

The Express-AM4 satellite was launched at 1:25 am Thursday (2125 GMT Wednesday) from Russia's Baikonur cosmodrome in <...

Russia plans orbiting hotel in space

2011-08-19T04:00:09Z

ZHUKOVSKY, Russia (Reuters) - A hotel in orbit, lunar sightseeing flights and luxury rides into the cosmos -- all are part of Russia's vision to ensure it is not left behind in the growing space tourism industry.

Russian firms unveiled their plans at the country's premiere air show this week at Zhukovsky, outside Mo...

Russia loses contact with satellite after launch

2011-08-18T12:30:22Z

Russia was attempting to locate its major new telecommunications satellite on Thursday just hours after launch in what could be another serious mishap for its space industry.

The Express-AM4 satellite was launched at 1:25 am Thursday (2125 GMT Wednesday) from Russia's Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan

Russia loses contact with newly-launched satellite

2011-08-18T07:30:09Z

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said it had lost track of a newly-launched major telecommunications satellite on Thursday, the latest in a series of setbacks that have dogged its space industry.

The Express AM-4 satellite, described by its makers as the most powerful satellite ever built in Russia has lost contact with a major new telecommunications satellite hours after its launch into orbit, reports said on Thursday.

The Express-AM4 satellite was launched in the early hours of Thursday morning from Russia's Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and was due to provide digital televi...

Manned space flights no longer priority for Russia

2011-08-17T13:00:06Z

ZHUKOVSKY, Russia (Reuters) - Moscow no longer sees manned spaceflight as its top priority but remains committed to its International Space Station obli...

Russia space chief regrets focus on manned missions

2011-08-11T08:30:32Z

The new chief of Russia's space agency on Thursday said it had put too much emphasis on manned space flight and needed to increase financing on projects that brought a tangible return.

Roskosmos chief Vladimir Popovkin, in one of his first interviews since taking office this year, said the agency was spending almost half its budget on manned flight and it was no longer good enough j...

Spacewalkers ready space station for Russian upgrade

2011-08-03T15:00:21Z

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - A pair of spacewalking cosmonauts floated outside the International Space Station Wednesday to prepare the orbital outpost for upcoming Russian ...

International Space Station to be 'sunk' after 2020

2011-07-27T09:30:26Z

Russia and its partners plan to plunge the International Space Station (ISS) into the ocean at the end of its life cycle after 2020 so as not to leave space junk, its space agency said on Wednesday.

"After it completes its existence, we will be forced to sink the ISS. It cannot be left in orbit, it's too complex, too heavy an object, it can leave behind ...

Russian space telescope unfurls giant antenna

2011-07-23T12:30:35Z

A giant new Russian space telescope on Saturday unfurled its dish-like antenna which will observe radio waves from galaxies and black holes billions of light years away.

The operation to deploy the 10-metre-diameter antenna of the Spketr-R telescope, which was launched into orbit on Monday, has been successfully carried out, space agency Roskosmos said in a statement.

"Accordi...

Russia declares 'era of Soyuz' after shuttle

2011-07-21T11:30:23Z

Moscow on Thursday declared it was now "the era of the Soyuz" after the US shuttle's last flight left the Russian system as the sole means for delivering astronauts to the International Space Station.

Far less glamorous than the horizontal-landing winged shuttle, the principle of

Russia launches giant telescope in deep space return

2011-07-18T14:30:28Z

Russia on Monday launched into space its Spektr-R radio telescope planned to be the most powerful ever, the first deep space observatory sent up by Moscow in a quarter of a century.

Spektr-R will scour the fringes of the universe for black holes, mysterious quasar radio sources and also the fast rotating stellar remnants known as pulsars, US astronauts will be a lot like squeezing into a three-seat compact car, made by Russia, for a very long road trip.

With the shuttle program ending once Atlantis returns to Earth on July 21, US astronauts will be flying much less often to the US Globalstar satellites into orbit on Wednesday after postponing the launch twice earlier this week, Russia's space agency said.

The rocket blasted off from Russia's Baikonur ...

Russia gains edge in space race as US shuttle bows out

2011-07-03T18:30:24Z

As the United States winds down its shuttle programme in a symbolic twist in a long-running space rivalry, Russia will gain complete control of access to the International Space Station.

The Russian space ag...

Space debris risks colliding with orbital station

2011-06-28T09:30:15Z

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Six astronauts were forced to take refuge aboard the International Space Station's "lifeboat" crafts on Tuesday, bracing for the threat of a collision with floating space debris, the <...

Despite budget stress, US space ties strong: NASA

2011-06-17T17:30:22Z

Relations between the United States and its partners in space remain strong, despite tighter budgets and concerns about costs and delays in building the space station, NASA chief Charles Bolden said on Friday.

"We're talking about having vision and looking to the future, but planning that future in a very constrained fiscal en...

Soyuz docks at ISS carrying Russian, US, Japanese astronauts

2011-06-09T20:30:42Z

A Soyuz spacecraft with a Russian, a US and a Japanese astronaut aboard docked Thursday at the International Space Station, the Russian control centre said.

"The Soyuz TMA-02M spacecraft docked at the ISS automatically" around 1:20 am Moscow time on Friday (2120 GMT Thursday), said

Soyuz heads to ISS carrying Russian, US, Japanese astronauts

2011-06-07T20:30:23Z

A Soyuz spacecraft lifted off on Tuesday with a Russian, a US and a Japanese astronaut aboard headed for the International Space Station (ISS).

The spacecraft carrying American Mike Fossum, Russian Sergei Volkov and Satoshi Furukawa of

Endeavour poised for next-to-last US shuttle flight

2011-05-15T17:30:39Z

NASA Sunday readied the space shuttle Endeavour for its final mission with liftoff set for 8:56 am (1256 GMT) Monday on the next-to-last flight for the American shuttle program.

Engineers were optimistic that the repaired shuttle would be able to fly on its 16-day mission to the Endeavour, scheduled to lift off Monday on the American space program's second to last mission to the International Space Station.

Astronauts will deliver a potent physics experiment to probe the origins of the universe during the 16-day mission, which will include four spa...

Soyuz launch from Europe space base set for October

2011-05-10T14:30:44Z

The maiden launch of the veteran Soviet-Russian rocket Soyuz from Europe's space base in South America has been scheduled for October, a spokesman for launch operators Arianespace said on Tuesday.

"Right now we are looking at mid-October" for the first launch, said spokesman Mario de Lepine.

Soyuz will c...

Putin fires Russia space chief after mishaps

2011-04-29T09:30:35Z

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Friday fired the Russian space agency chief after a series of high-profile setbacks cast a shadow on the 50th anniversary year of Yuri Gagarin's first space flight.

Anatoly Perminov

China astronaut calls for U.S. cooperation

2011-04-29T08:30:12Z

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's most renowned astronaut said on Friday his country and the United States should make good on their presidents' promises to cooperate in space.

"I think the two countries should proactively implement the inte...

NASA clears shuttle Endeavour for April 29 launch

2011-04-19T15:00:17Z

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - The shuttle Endeavour was cleared for a launch attempt on April 29 to deliver a new class of physics instrument to the

Space to museums: shuttles to get retirement berths

2011-04-12T11:30:15Z

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - NASA is set to announce on Tuesday final museum berths for its retiring space shuttles, whose mothballing this year will hand over human space transportation to former arch-rival Russia

Russia celebrates Gagarin's conquest of space

2011-04-12T04:30:19Z

Russia on Tuesday marked a half century since Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space, the greatest victory of Soviet science which expanded human horizons and is still remembered by Russians as their finest hour.

At 0907 Moscow time on April 12, 1961 Gagarin uttered the famous words "Let's Go" as the Vostok rocket, with him...

Last legends of early space flight laud Gagarin

2011-04-11T16:30:17Z

The last living legends of the early years of human space flight in the Cold War met in a rare encounter on Monday to laud the achievement of Yuri Gagarin 50 years after his historic voyage into space.

The gathering at the Cosmonautics Museum in the Russian capital to celebrate the anniversary of Gagarin's April 12, 1961, mission brought together luminaries including Alexei Leonov, the first man to wa...

108 mins that stunned the world: Russia honors Gagarin

2011-04-11T06:30:25Z

STAR CITY, Russia (Reuters) - His 108-minute flight into space 50 years ago set new a horizon for humanity and overnight turned a farmworker's son named Yuri Gagarin into one of the century's heroes.

But half a century after his exploit captured the world's imagination and fueled a space race ...

Russia targets bigger role for space program

2011-04-07T13:00:09Z

NOVO-OGARYOVO, Russia (Reuters) - Russia will boost its efforts to explore the solar system and seek a bigger share of the market for space launches in the next decade, Prime Minister Vladmir Putin said on Thursday.

Speaking ahead of the 50th anniversary of

Spaceship 'Gagarin' docks with ISS

2011-04-07T07:30:31Z

A Soyuz craft carrying two Russians and an American on Thursday docked with the International Space Station, ahead of celebrations marking half a century since Yuri Gagarin's trail-blazing flight.

After a two-day journey, the TMA-21 capsule named after the first man in space docked with the ISS at 2309 GMT Wednesday as it orbited over the

Soyuz docks 50 years after Gagarin's voyage

2011-04-07T02:00:10Z

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Soyuz craft adorned with a portrait of the first man in space docked with the International Space Station Thursday, days before the 50th anniversary of Russia's space agency is to step down after seven years in the job, a deputy prime minister announced Wednesday, after a string of problems and launch delays angered top officials.

Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said that Roskosmos head Anatoly...

Astronauts head to ISS on spaceship Gagarin

2011-04-04T21:30:11Z

Three astronauts on Tuesday blasted off for the International Space Station in a spaceship named after the first man in space Yuri Gagarin in honour of his historic flight 50 years ago.

The two Russians and one American left on a Soyuz rocket from the main launchpad at Russia's

U.S.-Russian crew blast off for space station

2011-04-04T15:31:06Z

KOROLYOV, Russia (Reuters) - A Russian Soyuz spacecraft, carrying two cosmonauts and a U.S. astronaut to the International Space Station, blasted off early Tuesday from Russia's launchpad in

Europe space base set for Soyuz rockets

2011-04-01T09:30:39Z

Europe's space base in Kourou, French Guiana, is now ready for its first launch of the Soyuz rocket, the Soviet-Russian workhorse, the European Space Agency (ESA) said on Friday.

ESA formally handed over the launch pad on Thursday to Arianespace

Russia sets new Soyuz launch date on April 5

2011-03-21T09:30:11Z

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Monday it had set a new date for the launch of three U.S. and Russian astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), almost o...

Russia says delayed space flight on for April 5

2011-03-18T15:30:23Z

Russia said Friday it had solved the problem that caused it to delay the launch of three astronauts to the International Space Station and would proceed with the mission on April 5.

The Soyuz launch from the Baikonur cosmodrome in US and two Russians astronauts Wednesday parachuted amid hailing winds into a snow-swept Kazakh steppe after a five-month mission to the International Space Station.

"Despite the difficult weather conditions, the landing was standard," news agencies quoted

Russian Soyuz returns safely from space mission

2011-03-16T02:00:06Z

KOROLYOV, Russia (Reuters) - A Russian Soyuz spacecraft with three astronauts on board landed safely in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, Russia's Mission Control said.

U.S. astronaut Scott Kelly

US, Russia sign deal to transport astronauts until 2016

2011-03-15T10:30:29Z

The US space agency has renewed a contract to use Russian spaceships to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) up to 2016, the Russian space agency said Tuesday.

The Russian agency said the two sides had signed a contract for

Blue Jackets Coyotes Hockey

2011-01-04T21:01:31Z

Columbus Blue Jackets' R.J. Umberger (18) scores a goal against Phoenix Coyotes' Ilya Bryzgalov, of Russia, during the second period of an California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for a ride in his vintage car, a Soviet built Chaika luxury car, during their meeting in the Gorki residence outside Moscow, Russia. The Russian president and the Terminator are tweeting, and m...

Russia Sweden World Junior Hockey

2011-01-03T19:31:54Z

Sweden goaltender Robin Lehner makes a save on Russia's Danil Sobchenko (14) during first period semifinal action at the World Junior Hockey Championships in Buffalo, N.Y. on Monday Jan. 3, 2011. (AP Photo/Russia forward Denis Golubev, left, scores on Sweden goalie Robin Lehner during the shootout of a World Junior Hockey Championship semifinal in Buffalo, N.Y., on Monday, Jan. 3, 2011. Russia won 4-3. (AP Photo/Don Heupel)

Vnukovo airport in Moscow, Russia. A Russian passenger jet, Tu-154, similar to the plane pictured here, carrying 128 people caught fire while taxiing for takeoff at the Western Siberian oil town of Surgut a...

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