Kazakhstani cosmonaut to fly to ISS in September

MOSCOW. KAZINFORM - Cosmonaut Training Center's interdepartmental commission has approved Kazakhstani cosmonaut Aidyn Aimbetov as participant of flight to the International Space Station (ISS) in place of British singer Sarah Brightman, a source in the rocket and space industry told TASS on Monday.

"Aimbetov was included on the list of the short-term expedition to ISS by a decision of interdepartmental commission. Russian cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev was selected as his back-up," the source said. On May 14 British singer Sarah Brightman announced that she has to delay her flight to the International Space Station. "Ms. Brightman said that for personal family reasons her intentions have had to change and she is postponing her cosmonaut training and flight plans at this time," a statement on Brightman's website said, TASS reports.