Space station changes command

MOSCOW, April 4 (UPI) -- Russian authorities Saturday said cosmonaut Gennady Padalka was to take control of the International Space Station from NASA astronaut Michael Fincke.

Padalka, who trained Fincke on a 2004 mission to the station, praised his former "pupil" with leaving the space station in excellent shape for the station's Expedition 19, ITAR-Tass reported.

Fincke and Russian Yuri Lonchakov have been in orbit on the station since last October. They return to Earth April 8 with space tourist Charles Simonyi, who arrived aboard the space station last week with Padalka.