Victor Blagov, deputy control officer of the ISS mission, told RIA Novosti in a commentary of the foreign media information on pending emergency evacuation of the crew because of the on-board food shortage.
"No emergency return is in question. We are only thinking of the date for the docking between the ISS and the Progress space truck, December 26", Blagov said.
To him, Russian crewman Salizhan Sharipov and American Leroy Chiao have enough onboard food to last "before and after the docking".
The deputy control officer stressed that all the required food is present aboard the ISS and the crewmen don't have to stint themselves in food, as the foreign media has hurried to report with reference to NASA's ISS programme manager William Gerstenmaier. "I phoned the Americans yesterday and we've agreed there'll be no talk of cutting the food ration", Blagov said.
"The crew's menu is OK and there's enough food in the ISS", he stressed.
"Yes, it is allowed to cut the consumption of calories in emergency situations, as doctors permit and as is written down in the documents. There is not need of it now", Victor Blagov said.
