                             THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Wednesday, March 15, 1995              TAG: 9503150503
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A1   EDITION: FINAL 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   22 lines

LAUNCHING A NEW ERA IN SPACE

ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS COLOR PHOTOS

U.S. astronaut Norman Thagard - flanked by Russian cosmonauts

Vladimir Dezhurov, left, and Gennady Stekalov - prepares to board

the Soyuz spacecraft Tuesday. It lifted off at 11:11 a.m. Eastern

time from Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

Graphic

Photos

AMERICA AND RUSSIA IN SPACE: FROM COMPETITION TO COOPERATION

[For complete graphic, please see microfilm]

by CNB