MOSCOW -- Russian space authorities have decided to switch the crews lined up for the next two flights to the International Space Station after U.S. astronauts Leroy Chiao and Russian cosmonaut Valery Tokarev developed "psychological incompatibility" during their joint training, a Russian space officials said.
NASA officials anncouned on Jan. 12 that Chiao replaced William McArthur on the Expedition Nine crew scheduled for launch April 19. McArthur was bumped from the flight because of unspecified "temporary medical issues."
Chiao then began training with Tokarev at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training in Star City, but the two didn't hit it off, one Russian Aviation and Space Agency (Rosaviakosmos) official said in a phone interview.
"One of the factors was the psychological incompatibility," said the official when explaining why the switch of the line-up has been carried out.The official, who asked not to be named, stressed, however, Chiao and Tokarev didn't have any "quarrels. "
"It is not that one was trying to prove to the other who is smarter," he said.
The official stressed that "the factor of how compatible crew members are both psychologically and professionally" compatible factor greatly during selection of candidates by Russian space authorities.
It will be U.S. astronaut Michael Fincke and Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka -- who were previously scheduled to fly to the ISS in October as the Expedition Ten crew -- now are tentatively scheduled for the April 19 launch, according to the official.
The third person who is set to take off to ISS on that day abroad a three-seat Soyuz-TMA capsule is European Space Agency's astronaut Andre Kuipers. Kuipers will spend a few days at the station and then return to Earth with the Expedition Eight crew of Alexander Kaleri and Michael Foale.
It is Tokarev and McArthur -- who has already overcome his health problems -- that are now planned to fly to the outpost as the Expedition Ten crew, he said.
He said Rosaviakosmos will officially notify NASA of the switch once the Gagarin center drafts an official proposal, sends it Russia's lead ISS contractor -- Energia, which will then rubber-stamp it and forward to the Russian space agency. The official said it would take some two weeks, but noted that NASA officials are already aware of the switch.
However, even Padalka and Fincke may end up staying on the ground if either develops health problems or fails to pass the final exams.
It will only be when the crew arrives at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in April that an official commission will examine their preparedness and clear them for the launch, he said. Salizhan Sharipov and Chiao are now training as a back-up crew for Expedition Nine, the official said.
Rosaviakosmos spokesman Konstantin Kreydenko confirmed the crew switch when reached by phone on Wednesday, but would not elaborate on the reasons behind it.
He noted, however, that it has always been a standard operational procedure in Russia's manned space exploration crew to switch entire crews rather than replace one member if either of that crew members have developed any problems.
Hence, he said, McArthur's temporary health issues should have immediately affected replacement of the entire crew with a new one rather than replacement of that astronaut alone.
NASA spokesperson Deborah Rahn said in a phone interview on Wednesday that she "has no official information" and "is not aware" of the switch.
However, one NASA representative in Moscow said he is "aware" of the switch, but denied any knowledge of Chiao and Tokarev experiencing any personal conflicts. He asked not to be named.
Calls to the Star City's press service and Padalka's office went unanswered Wednesday.
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