Crewe, 82, was first to image atom

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Finally, space station gets to fulfill its science mission

WASHINGTON — The International Space Station this week gets a full crew of six scientists and engineers for the first time and, perhaps, starts paying off its $100 billion price tag.

On Wednesday, three astronauts — a Russian, a Canadian and a Belgian — are to ride a Russian Soyuz spacecraft from Kazakhstan up to the nearly completed space station, the first long-term human habitat in space. They're due to arrive Friday morning.

There they will join three others, an American, a Japanese and a second Russian, who're already circling 250 miles above Earth, at 17,000 miles an hour.

Raleigh's Atomic Games lays off dozens

Atomic Games recently laid off dozens of workers, a move the Raleigh video game company blamed on its failure to land a new publisher willing to fund development of its controversial game about the Iraq war, “Six Days in Fallujah.”

CEO Peter Tamte wouldn’t disclose how many of the company’s 75 workers were laid off but said today that more than a dozen remain after the staff was “substantially reduced.” He also disputed rumors that the company plans to shut down.

“The rumors are being spread by people who would like to see our studio close,” Tamte said. “There are no plans to shut down Atomic Games.”

Atomic Games lays off workers

Raleigh video-game company Atomic Games recently laid off dozens of workers after failing to find a new publisher for its controversial game about the Iraq war, "Six Days in Fallujah."

CEO Peter Tamte wouldn't disclose how many of the company's 75 workers were laid off but said Monday that more than a dozen remain after the staff was "substantially reduced." He also dismissed rumors about Atomic's imminent demise.

"The rumors are being spread by people who would like to see our studio close," Tamte said. "There are no plans to shut down Atomic Games."

Iraq war video game canceled

A Raleigh video game company's plans for a video game featuring one of the bloodiest battles of the Iraq war have been blown up by a deluge of criticism.

Atomic Games' "Six Days in Fallujah," which was scheduled for release next year, has been canceled by its distributor, Japanese video-game publisher Konami.

A spokesman for Atomic Games declined to discuss the cancellation and its impact on the company's operations in Raleigh, where it has 65 employees.

Milestones

Key events in the relationship between the United States and Iran:

1976: The shah of Iran implements a series of reforms, including replacing the Islamic calendar, which Iranians oppose as anti-Islamic.

1978: Iranians protest the shah and his rules with rioting, strikes and demonstrations. The shah imposes martial law.