Wisconsin astronaut plans his third trip to space this fall

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An astronaut from northwest Wisconsin will make his third trip to space this fall. This time, Jeffrey Williams of Winter, will help finish construction of the International Space Station as part of a six-member crew.

Williams, 51, was aboard the shuttle Atlantis in 2001.

Five years later, he spent six months helping to build the space station.

On Sept. 30, he’ll join Russian cosmonauts in a Soyuz rocket.

He’ll serve for two months as a flight engineer and then four months as the mission’s commander.

The International Space Station is designed to be a platform to the moon and Mars.

Williams says it’s the size of two football fields.

He’s been training since last summer in Star City, Russia, as well as Canada, Japan and Germany where other crew members live.

Williams says there may be political tensions between the U.S. and Russia, but the international crew works together above and beyond those tensions.

The final modules of the space station will be in place by the time Williams returns to earth next March.

(Thanks Mike Simonson, KUWS, Superior)

Tags: international space station, wisconsin, astronaut