Soyuz TMA-20 launch may be put off until 2011

BAIKONUR SPACE CENTER (KAZAKHSTAN) – The launch of the Soyuz TMA-20 manned spacecraft may be postponed until 2011 due to a transportation accident, a source said on Friday.

The spacecraft’s descent vehicle was damaged while being transported to the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan. It will be replaced with a new one, the source said.

The Soyuz TMA-20 was to deliver Dmitry Kondratyev, Catherine Coleman and Paolo Nespoli to the International Space Station (ISS) from Baikonur in December.

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