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International Space Station -
Latest News

Expedition 12 Heads Home, New Crew in Charge of Station


Image above: Expedition 12 is in the Soyuz spacecraft backdropped by the Earth moments after undocking for their return home. Photo Credit: NASA TV

Expedition 12 has left the International Space Station after six-months and is returning to Earth. Commander Bill McArthur and Flight Engineer Valery Tokarev undocked their Soyuz TMA-7 spacecraft at 4:28 p.m. EDT. Brazil’s first astronaut Marcos Pontes, who arrived at the station with Expedition 13, is now headed home with Expedition 12. They are scheduled to land in Kazakhstan at 7:48 p.m.

Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams are now the sole residents aboard the space station. A third crewmember, European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter, is scheduled to join Expedition 13 no earlier than July aboard Space Shuttle Discovery.

Source: NASA - Space Station

This post has been edited by Waspie_Dwarf: 26 October 2006 - 02:28 PM

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Station Crew Undocks, Heads Back to Earth

Commander Bill McArthur and Flight Engineer Valery Tokarev, the 12th crew of the International Space Station, undocked in their Soyuz spacecraft from the orbiting laboratory at 4:28 p.m. EDT Saturday and headed for a landing in the steppes of Kazakhstan at 7:48 p.m.


Image above: Expedition 12 is in the Soyuz spacecraft backdropped by the Earth moments after undocking for their return home. Photo Credit: NASA TV

With them was Marcos Pontes, the first Brazilian astronaut, who flew to the space station with the Expedition 13 crew and spent about eight days doing experiments. He was aboard under a contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos).

McArthur and Tokarev will spend several weeks in Star City, near Moscow, for debriefing and medical examinations.

They launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan last Sept. 30 and docked with the station Oct. 3. During their increment they performed two spacewalks, continued station maintenance and did scientific experiments.

Before closing the last of the Soyuz-station hatches at 1:23 p.m. Saturday, McArthur and Tokarev said farewell to the Expedition 13 crew, Commander Pavel Vinogradov and NASA Science Officer Jeffrey Williams. That crew launched with Pontes from Baikonur March 29 at 9:30 p.m. EST.

Back on the space station, the E13 crew began the solo portion of its six-month increment.

Vinogradov is a veteran of a 198-day mission aboard the Russian space station Mir, where he did five spacewalks. Williams, an Army colonel, flew on STS-101 in May 2000. He did one spacewalk during that flight to the station.

Joining them during their stay on the station will be Thomas Reiter, a European Space Agency astronaut from Germany, also flying under a Roscosmos contract. He is scheduled to come to the station on Discovery's STS-121 mission, set for no earlier than July.

Reiter is to be the first non-Russian, non-U.S. long-duration crewmember on station. He will bring the station crew back to three for the first time since May 2003, in the wake of the Columbia accident.

Source: NASA - Space Station - Expeditions

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Expedition 12 Lands in Kazakhstan

Expedition 12 has returned to Earth and landed in the steppes of Kazakhstan. The Soyuz TMA-7 spacecraft touched down at 7:48 p.m. EDT. Returning with Commander Bill McArthur and Flight Engineer Valery Tokarev was Brazil’s first astronaut, Marcos Pontes, who arrived at the station with Expedition 13 on April 1.

Source: NASA - Space Station

[Glacies]

Fascinating. another great thread

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Progress M-56

Preperations are underway for the 24th April Launch of the Progress M-56 supply craft to the International Space Station (ISS). Confusingly NASA uses a different numbering system to the Russians and refers to the spacecraft as Progress-21.

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April 13, 2006. Baikonur Cosmodrome.

The Technical Management meeting which made a decision to fuel Progress M-56 cargo vehicle with propellant components and compressed gases.

Progress M-56 cargo vehicle balancing and weighing:

Picture credits: S.P.Korolev RSC Energia

Source: S.P.Korolev RSC Energia - News

This post has been edited by Waspie_Dwarf: 24 April 2006 - 11:01 AM

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Expedition 13 Under Way

Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams got in their first full working day alone aboard the International Space Station Tuesday. They did maintenance activities, talked with two news organizations and participants in a children's aerospace conference in Russia, and completed their regular 2½ hours of daily exercise. They also continued their familiarization with the station. After their March 30 launch and April 1 docking, they spent about eight days on handover activities with their Expedition 12 predecessors, then had off-duty days Sunday and Monday.


Image above: Expedition 12 Commander Bill McArthur waits
onboard a helicopter before transferring to an airplane for a flight back
to Moscow from Kustanay, Kazakhstan. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Expedition 12's Commander Bill McArthur and Flight Engineer Valery Tokarev remain in Star City, Russia, near Moscow. They are undergoing debriefing and physical rehabilitation after almost 190 days in space before their Saturday landing in Kazakhstan. With them is Marcos Pontes, Brazil's first astronaut. He launched with Expedition 13 and returned with Expedition 12 after performing a series of scientific experiments. Expedition 12 is scheduled to return to NASA's Johnson Space Center later this month.

Source: NASA - Space Station

This post has been edited by Waspie_Dwarf: 26 October 2006 - 02:28 PM

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Expedition 13 Completes First Full Week


Image above: Newly arrived Expedition 13 Flight Engineer Jeff Williams
checks out the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station.
Credit: NASA

Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams got in their first full working day alone aboard the International Space Station Tuesday. They did maintenance activities, talked with two news organizations and participants in a children's aerospace conference in Russia, and completed their regular 2½ hours of daily exercise. They also continued their familiarization with the station. After their March 30 launch and April 1 docking, they spent about eight days on handover activities with their Expedition 12 predecessors, then had off-duty days Sunday and Monday.

Source: NASA - Space Station

This post has been edited by Waspie_Dwarf: 17 April 2006 - 08:00 PM

[Psychokinesis]

Hmm..you have a major interest in space exploration, don't you?

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Quote

Hmm..you have a major interest in space exploration, don't you?

What gave you that idea.

This post has been edited by Waspie_Dwarf: 18 April 2006 - 07:55 PM

[Waspie_Dwarf]

April 18, 2006. Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Progress M-56 transport cargo vehicle was docked with the transfer compartment in the Spacecraft Assembly and Testing Facility.

Picture credits: S.P.Korolev RSC Energia

Source: S.P.Korolev RSC Energia - News

This post has been edited by Waspie_Dwarf: 24 April 2006 - 11:02 AM

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Station Reboost Scheduled for Wednesday


Image above: Newly arrived Expedition 13 Flight Engineer Jeff Williams
checks out the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station.
Credit: NASA

Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams, now into their second full work week alone aboard the orbital outpost, are continuing with station familiarization, routine maintenance and medical data collection. On Monday, the crew set up and activated EarthKAM for its first photographic data takes of the new increment.

The station's Zvezda Service Module engines will be fired Wednesday at 3:49 p.m. EDT for 10 seconds to boost the station to the correct altitude to dock with the ISS Progress 21 cargo craft. The Progress, carrying 2½ tons of fuel, oxygen and supplies, will launch next Monday and dock with the station on Wednesday, April 26.

Source: NASA - Space Station

[Waspie_Dwarf]

April 19, 2006. Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Designers inspection of the Progress M-56 cargo vehicle was completed in the Spacecraft Assembly and Testing Facility.

Payload shroud roll on to the Progress M-56 spacecraft was performed.

Picture credits: S.P.Korolev RSC Energia

Source: S.P.Korolev RSC Energia - News

This post has been edited by Waspie_Dwarf: 24 April 2006 - 11:02 AM

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Expedition 13 in Second Week of Mission


Image above: Newly arrived Expedition 13 Flight Engineer Jeff Williams
checks out the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station.
Credit: NASA

Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams, now into their second full work week alone aboard the orbital outpost, are continuing with station familiarization, routine maintenance and medical data collection. On Monday, the crew set up and activated EarthKAM for its first photographic data takes of the new increment.

Wednesday's scheduled reboost of the station using the Zvezda Service Module engine did not occur. Neither engine fired, and the maneuver was aborted. Russian engineers are investigating. Since the reboost was primarily intended as a test of the engines and would have raised the station's altitude by approximately 1/3 of a statute mile, the planned docking of the ISS Progress 21 cargo craft is not affected. The Progress, carrying 2½ tons of fuel, oxygen and supplies, will launch next Monday and dock with the station on Wednesday, April 26.

Source: NASA - Space Station

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April 20, 2006. Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Orbital module of the Soyuz launch vehicle, containing Progress M-56 spacecraft was transported from the spacecraft processing facility for the general integration with LV.

Picture credits: S.P.Korolev RSC Energia

Source: S.P.Korolev RSC Energia - News

This post has been edited by Waspie_Dwarf: 24 April 2006 - 11:03 AM

[Waspie_Dwarf]

April 21, 2006. Baikonur Cosmodrome.

The orbital module was integrated with the Soyuz launch vehicle in the processing facility.

Picture credits: S.P.Korolev RSC Energia

Source: S.P.Korolev RSC Energia - News

This post has been edited by Waspie_Dwarf: 24 April 2006 - 11:03 AM