New station crew to roll out welcome mat

The next astronauts scheduled to blast off into space on a Russian craft said on Tuesday they were excited about hosting the crew of the first U.S. shuttle to launch for more than two years.

Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalyov and U.S. astronaut John Phillips plan to head to the International Space Station on April 15 for a six-month stay and are scheduled to witness the arrival of the Discovery shuttle, due to launch in May.

"Seeing that it (the shuttle) has lifted off from Cape Canaveral and it's coming to see us -- that's going to be really exciting," Phillips told reporters at the Star City training center outside Moscow.

NASA grounded its shuttle fleet after the fatal Columbia accident in February 2003, when the craft disintegrated on re-entry killing the seven astronauts on board.

Phillips and Krikalyov will photograph the shuttle as it approaches and look for surface damage similar to the type on Columbia's wing which was caused during take-off and eventually led to the accident.

Two shuttle test flights were planned during their stay, said Krikalyov, and if they are successful the size of the permanent crew could rise to three from the current two.

"When a third pair of hands gets here, the more time we'll be able to spend on doing experiments -- and that's the main aim of flights to the station," Krikalyov said.

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A toy rabbit and the Mona Lisa
The shuttle's return to flight will be welcomed by Russia, which has had to provide all manned and unmanned flights to the station over the past two years, a financial burden its tight budget has struggled with.

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Krikalyov and Phillips will be joined for nine days by European Space Agency astronaut Roberto Vittori, who will conduct experiments before returning to earth with the outgoing two-man crew who have been in orbit since October.

Vittori, in turn, will be accompanied by his toy rabbit, which he said his wife had given him 18 years ago. He will also take up a copy of the Mona Lisa because his mission is launching on what would be Leonardo da Vinci's birthday.

Krikalyov said he was taking with him something to remind him of his home town St. Petersburg, while Phillips has already sent his sentimental item — rings bought for his 25th wedding anniversary — up to the station in a cargo ship.

"I'm excited to be going. There's the usual apprehension, but this is what I do for a living," said Phillips.