Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui said Tuesday that he is confident and feels safe about the approaching trip that will take him and two other colleagues to the International Space Station, despite a nearly two-month delay stemming from the failed launch of another spacecraft using a similar rocket.
Speaking at a prelaunch press conference in Baikonur, where the launch facility for the Soyuz spacecraft is located, Yui, 45, said in English, "Of course, we had such kind (of) incident but I'm always trying to understand everything ... positively.
"I'm pretty confident that the next launch (is) going to be maybe our safest launch," he added. "So, I'm really happy and feel really safe to go on orbit."