Communist Party leader talks to ISS cosmonauts

Russian communist party leader Gennady Zyuganov congratulated cosmonauts on board the International Space Station on Saturday, ahead of the 60th anniversary of the first manned space flight.

Zyuganov visited the Mission Control Center outside Moscow to speak to the crew, including a trio of Russian and American space travellers who joined the space station on Friday.

He congratulated the Russian cosmonauts on the upcoming anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's launch into orbit on 12 April 1961.

"Space has always worked for everyone and we welcome programs that are in progress now," he said.

The new crew will work on hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and earth sciences.