Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin today offered condolences to NASA astronaut and International Space Station commander Scott Kelly about the weekend shooting that critically injured his sister-in-law, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. "I would like to start our conversation today with words of wholehearted condolences which I would like to express to the commander of increment 24 [sic], Mr. Scott Kelly, in relation to the assassination attempt to the congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords," Putin said in the space-to-ground call translated from Russia's Mission Control Center near Moscow.
"I would like to assure you that there are no people in Russia who were not touched by this terrible news. We know that Ms. Giffords is the wife of your brother, a NASA astronaut who has visited Moscow on several occasions. We express our deepest condolences to your family and to all those who were touched by this terrible crime." "Thank you very much," Scott Kelly replied in Russian. "Of course I will pass on your words to my brother (Mark Kelly). Thank you."
Putin spoke to the six station residents, including three Russians, two Americans and an Italian, to discuss the upcoming 50th anniversary on April 12 of the first human spaceflight by Yuri Gagarin.
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