MOSCOW (Reuters) - Five prospective Russian-American space crews started training on Earth on Monday to use a Russian-made living module due to be attached to the International Space Station.
Yuri Grigoryev, a representative of the manufacturer, told RIA news agency the crews at the Baikonur launch pad in Kazakhstan were getting first-hand experience of the Zvezda (Star) module, which will be joined to two support segments already in orbit.
The teams, who will spend 10 days familiarizing themselves with their living quarters, also have to make sure the inscriptions in two languages are clear enough not to confuse the crews when they have to use them in space.
The International Space Station is a $60 billion venture by 16 nations including the United States and Russia.
The project has been delayed repeatedly as Russia has failed to complete work on its sections of the station.
Zvezda has been scheduled to go into orbit in November but Russian newspapers have already reported that Moscow wants the launch postponed until early 2000.
The papers said the United States, which had initially been annoyed by the delay, softened its stance after a wiring problem grounded its own space shuttle Atlantis, which will be used to ferry supplies and crews to the station.
Russia currently maintains the world's only operating space station, the 13-year-old Mir, which is now empty and scheduled to be guided into a crash landing next year after a brief visit by a final crew to shut it down.
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