HUGS AND KISSES IN ORBIT
The first American to join Russian cosmonauts on the space station Mir was greeted today with gifts of salt and bread, bear hugs and a kiss on the cheek. Astronaut Norman Thagard and his two Russian crewmates floated into the Mir 90 minutes after their capsule docked with the space station at 2:45 a.m. EST. The trio is slated to remain there for three months. NASA plans to send four more astronauts to the Mir beginning in June. TIME Moscow correspondent Terence Nelan says Russians at mission control in Kaliningrad (just outside the city) worked hard on a "flawless" docking, concerned any foul up could have prompted NASA to change its plans for the June mission. Nelan says they celebrated by shaking hands and shooting grinning pictures of each other.
Most Popular »
- How Cash Keeps Poor People Poor
- E.T. Turns 30: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Our Favorite Extraterrestrial
- 15-Year-Old Creates Test for Pancreatic Cancer
- Fourth Flesh-Eating-Bacteria Case Confirmed in Georgia, Possible Fifth
- No Spontanaeity Allowed: How to Visit North Korea as a Tourist in Four (Restrictive) Steps
- Nevada Ghosts: Rare Photos From an A-Bomb Test
- A New First Amendment Right: Videotaping The Police
- Euro Crisis: Why A Greek Exit Could Be Much Worse Than Expected
- 10 Dangerous Products You Might Have in Your Home
- Could a Fertility Gene Discovery Lead to New Male Contraception?
- Researchers Probe the Potential Health Benefits of Palm Oil
- A Visit with Turkey's Controversial Religious Movement
- Feeding the Planet Without Destroying It
- Bubble on the Potomac
- Falcon's Liftoff: How a Private Firm Could Change Space Exploration
- The Fatal Flight of the Superjet 100: Why Did It Slam Into a Mountain?
- Learning That Works
- The Man Who Remade Motherhood
- Bibi's Choice
- Seoul: 10 Things to Do
More News from Our Partners
Top Stories on TIME.com
Quotes of the Day »
