Kazakhstani cosmonaut Aimbetov to replace singer Brightman in flight to ISS - Foreign Ministry

ASTANA, June 22. /TASS/. Kazakhstani cosmonaut Aidyn Aimbetov has officially become a part of short-term expedition to the International Space Station (ISS), the country’s Foreign Ministry’s official representative Altai Abibullaev said on Monday. "Aidyn Aimbetov has been included in the short-term expedition to ISS by a decision of an interdepartmental commission," Abibullaev wrote on his Twitter microblog. He added that Russian cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev, who has no experience in space flights, was selected as back-up for Aimbetov. A source in the rocket and space industry told TASS earlier on Monday that Cosmonaut Training Center’s interdepartmental commission approved Kazakhstani cosmonaut Aidyn Aimbetov as participant of flight to ISS in place of British singer Sarah Brightman. Russian businessman Filaret Galchev, one of contenders for a space flight, does not reject the idea of flying to ISS, but understands that he is not yet ready for such travel in the nearest future due to insufficient physical training and preparation. Roscosmos space agency head Igor Komarov told TASS earlier that Brightman, who refused to fly to ISS, will be replaced in the nearest future. Among the main contenders to fly to space on Soyuz TMA-18M spacecraft were Aimbetov, Galchev and Russian cosmonaut Prokopyev, who has not yet had space flight experience. The Soyuz TMA-18M spacecraft will be launched from the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan on September 1. Aimbetov will be accompanied by Russian cosmonaut Sergey Volkov and European astronaut Andreas Mogensen. Read more