May 21 1997
From The Space Library
NASA announced that an American astronaut would be the first commander of the planned International Space Station, settling a long-standing disagreement between NASA and the Russian Space Agency. NASA selected veteran U.S. astronaut William M. Shepherd to lead the three-person crew, which also included Russian cosmonauts Sergei K. Krikalev and Yuri P. Gidzenko. Gidzenko said that he had no problem participating in a U.S. -led mission: "It doesn't matter who will be commander, who will be the flight engineer or pilot. They all work together, and they will try to do their best." NASA had selected Russian cosmonaut Anatoly Y. Solovyev as a member of the crew, but Solovyev had refused to take part in an American-led expedition, opening the door to Gidzenko's participation.
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