Crew Prepares for Shuttle Arrival


Image above: The profile of the atmosphere and the setting sun is
featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 13 crewmember
on the International Space Station.
Credit: NASA

Commander Pavel Vinogradov, and Flight Engineers Jeff Williams and Thomas Reiter, continued preparations this week for the arrival of Space Shuttle Atlantis in late August, packed up trash and unneeded items and conducted scientific experiments aboard the orbital outpost.

Throughout the week, the Expedition 13 crew reviewed the timelines and procedures for the upcoming shuttle mission. The STS-115 crew aboard Atlantis will deliver the P3/P4 truss during the mission set to launch on Aug. 27. The shuttle's crew members will conduct three spacewalks to install and set up the new segment. On Wednesday, Williams worked with the station's robotic arm to inspect the attach points on the truss structure.

The crew continues to stow trash in the ISS Progress 21 cargo ship currently docked to the station. The Progress will be undocked from the station in September to burn up in the Earth's atmosphere, clearing the Zvezda Service Module's aft docking port for the arrival of the Expedition 14 crew aboard the ISS Soyuz 13 craft.

On Monday, Williams activated the EarthKAM hardware for a new session, giving school students around the world access to a digital still camera mounted in a window of the space station and enabling them to view the world from an astronaut's perspective.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Back to Routine After Saturday Science Program


Image above: Jeff Williams does a check of the Synchronized Position
Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) Beacon /
Beacon Tester.
Credit: NASA

It was a busy day for the crew as they conducted routine tasks. Expedition 13 performed Russian Orlan spacesuit leak checks and removed Russian navigation equipment for return to Earth aboard Atlantis on the STS-115 mission. They also continued the scrubbing of the U.S. spacesuit cooling loops in the Quest airlock.

Jeff Williams conducted a voluntary “Saturday Science” program by performing a full-beacon session of the Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) payload. The SPHERES experiment, which includes three small balls that fly in formation in the station cabin, tests systems for controlling multiple spacecraft.

There was a small nitrogen leak found in the Elektron oxygen generation unit late last week resulting in no impact to operations. Ground teams are working to resolve the problem.

Last week, Williams activated the Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle School Students (EarthKAM) hardware for a new session, giving school students around the world access to a digital still camera mounted in a window of the space station and enabling them to view the world from an astronaut's perspective. Over 800 images were taken by 44 schools last week.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Getting Ready for Space Shuttle Atlantis


Image above: Thomas Reiter (left), Pavel Vinogradov and Jeff Williams
in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station.
Credit: NASA

The International Space Station will be reboosted during a 9-minute, 4-second burn of the ISS Progress 21 engines at 12:04 p.m. EDT Wednesday. This will place the station at the correct altitude to support the rendezvous with Space Shuttle Atlantis for the STS-115 launch and for the Soyuz launch of the Expedition 14 crew in September. The reboost will increase the station's altitude by 2.5 statute miles.

The crew will also conduct another training session with digital cameras for the rendezvous pitch maneuver photography, which will document the shuttle's thermal heat shield. They will use these techniques to photograph Atlantis as it approaches the station from below in the final phase of its rendezvous for docking during the STS-115 mission.

Jeff Williams conducted a voluntary “Saturday Science” program by performing a full-beacon session of the Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) payload. The SPHERES experiment, which includes three small balls that fly in formation in the station cabin, tests systems for controlling multiple spacecraft.

Last week, Williams activated the Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle School Students (EarthKAM) hardware for a new session, giving school students around the world access to a digital still camera mounted in a window of the space station and enabling them to view the world from an astronaut's perspective. Over 800 images were taken by 44 schools last week.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Getting Ready for Space Shuttle Atlantis


Image above: Thomas Reiter (left), Pavel Vinogradov and Jeff Williams
in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station.
Credit: NASA

The International Space Station performed a reboost during a 9-minute, 4-second burn of the ISS Progress 21 engines at 12:04 p.m. EDT Wednesday. This placed the station at the correct altitude to support the rendezvous with Space Shuttle Atlantis for the STS-115 launch and the Soyuz launch of the Expedition 14 crew in September. The reboost increased the station's altitude by 2.5 statute miles.

Jeff Williams conducted a voluntary “Saturday Science” program by performing a full-beacon session of the Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) payload. The SPHERES experiment, which includes three small balls that fly in formation in the station cabin, tests systems for controlling multiple spacecraft.

Last week, Williams activated the Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle School Students (EarthKAM) hardware for a new session, giving school students around the world access to a digital still camera mounted in a window of the space station and enabling them to view the world from an astronaut's perspective. Over 800 images were taken by 44 schools last week.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition 13 Prepares for Visitors


Image above: Thomas Reiter (left), Pavel Vinogradov and Jeff Williams
with two spacesuits.
Credit: NASA

Expedition 13 crew members will hold another conference with photo specialists on the ground about rendezvous pitch maneuver photography. The crew will use these techniques to photograph Atlantis as it approaches the station from below in the final phase of its rendezvous for docking during the STS-115 mission.

Crew members continue to pack items no longer needed on the station into the Progress 21 cargo ship, which will be undocked to burn up in the Earth's atmosphere the day after the Expedition 14 launch. They are also preparing for upcoming spacewalks and conducting routine maintenance and lab experiments.

The International Space Station performed a reboost during a 9-minute, 4-second burn of the ISS Progress 21 engines at 12:04 p.m. EDT Wednesday. This placed the station at the correct altitude to support the rendezvous with Space Shuttle Atlantis for the STS-115 launch and the Soyuz launch of the Expedition 14 crew in September. The reboost increased the station's altitude by 2.5 statute miles.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition 13 Ready for Atlantis and New Construction


Image above: An STS-121 crew member aboard Space Shuttle Discovery
captured this image of the space station in July 2006.
Credit: NASA

Space Shuttle Atlantis is due to launch Sunday and dock with the International Space Station on Tuesday. In preparation for the STS-115 mission Expedition 13 crew members held another conference with photo specialists on the ground about rendezvous pitch maneuver photography, which will document the shuttle's thermal heat shield. The crew will use these techniques to photograph Atlantis as it approaches the station from below in the final phase of its rendezvous for docking.

During the mission, astronauts will attach the new P3/P4 truss, a segment that includes a huge new set of solar arrays and a giant rotary joint to allow the arrays to track the sun. The installation of the new truss segments and unfurling of the arrays will require unprecedented robotic operations. Those operations will use both the shuttle and station arms to delicately maneuver the school bus-sized component into place.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition 13 Ready for Atlantis and New Construction


Image above: An STS-121 crew member aboard Space Shuttle Discovery
captured this image of the space station in July 2006.
Credit: NASA

The launch of the International Space Station's next set of visitors, the STS-115 crew, has been delayed until no earlier than Tuesday, Aug. 29 as engineers study the effects of a lightning strike at the launch pad. The launch time Tuesday would be 3:41 p.m. EDT.

STS-115 will resume the on-orbit construction of the station with the delivery of the P3/4 truss and a new set of solar arrays. After the station’s robotic arm attaches the truss, the STS-115 crew will conduct three spacewalks to outfit the truss and prepare the arrays for operation. The two crews will also transfer cargo between the station and Atlantis.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition 13 Waits for STS-115, Continues Normal Duties


Image above: On Aug. 27, Hurricane Ernesto was photographed from
the International Space Station at an altitude of about 215 miles.
Credit: NASA
+ View more Hurricane Ernesto images

The start of space shuttle mission STS-115, the next International Space Station assembly mission, has been delayed due to the threat from Tropical Storm Ernesto. For the latest information on STS-115, please visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

STS-115 will resume the on-orbit construction of the station with the delivery of the P3/4 truss and a new set of solar arrays. After the station’s robotic arm attaches the truss, the STS-115 crew will conduct three spacewalks to outfit the truss and prepare the arrays for operation. The two crews will also transfer cargo between the station and Atlantis.

Meanwhile, the crew members onboard the station continue science and maintenance activities and are stowing discarded items into the docked ISS Progress 21 cargo spacecraft.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition 13 Waits for STS-115, Continues Normal Duties


Image above: Tropical Storm Ernesto was photographed from the
International Space Station on Aug. 28.
Credit: NASA
+ View more Hurricane Ernesto images

The start of space shuttle mission STS-115, the next International Space Station assembly mission, has been delayed due to the threat from Tropical Storm Ernesto. For the latest information on STS-115, please visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

STS-115 will resume the on-orbit construction of the station with the delivery of the P3/4 truss and a new set of solar arrays. After the station’s robotic arm attaches the truss, the STS-115 crew will conduct three spacewalks to outfit the truss and prepare the arrays for operation. The two crews will also transfer cargo between the station and Atlantis.

Flight Engineer Jeff Williams set up an experiment to measure radiation in the Destiny laboratory, while European Space Agency astronaut and Flight Engineer Thomas Reiter continued cleaning the Zarya module’s ventilation panels. Commander Pavel Vinogradov began auditing Russian hardware in the Zvezda service module. Expedition 13 continues stowing discarded items into the docked ISS Progress 21 cargo spacecraft.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition 13 Commander Celebrates Birthday


Image above: Tropical Storm Ernesto was photographed from the
International Space Station on Aug. 28.
Credit: NASA
+ View more Hurricane Ernesto images

Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov is celebrating his 53rd birthday aboard the International Space Station. The Russian space corporation Energia is calling with congratulations to the station commander. With a light day scheduled for the crew, they will continue with their exercise and routine maintenance schedule.

Meanwhile, NASA managers are evaluating a likely target date for the launch of Atlantis on STS-115. For the latest information visit…

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

Source: NASA - Space Station

Busy Station Crew Prepares for Sept. 6 Shuttle Launch


Image above: Tropical Storm Ernesto was photographed from the
International Space Station on Aug. 28.
Credit: NASA
+ View more Hurricane Ernesto images

Expedition 13 has replanned its activities as Space Shuttle Atlantis is prepped for launch. The station crew members continue their science and maintenance duties while awaiting the arrival of STS-115 which launches Sept. 6. A lightning strike and a tropical storm delayed the launch of the shuttle.

The crew of Atlantis will deliver and install the P3/P4 truss, which includes a set of giant solar arrays, batteries and associated electronics for the space station. For information about the STS-115 crew and mission visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

Source: NASA - Space Station

Busy Station Crew Prepares for Sept. 6 Shuttle Launch


Image above: Astronaut Jeff Williams performs maintenance in the
Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station.
Credit: NASA

Expedition 13 has replanned its activities as Space Shuttle Atlantis is prepped for launch. The station crew members continue their science and maintenance duties while awaiting the arrival of STS-115 which launches Sept. 6. A lightning strike and a tropical storm delayed the launch of the shuttle.

The crew of Atlantis will deliver and install the P3/P4 truss, which includes a set of giant solar arrays, batteries and associated electronics for the space station. For information about the STS-115 crew and mission visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

Source: NASA - Space Station

Station Crew Continues Normal Duties


Image above: Golden Gate, San Francisco, Calif. is featured in this image
photographed by an Expedition 13 crew member on the International
Space Station.
Credit: NASA

Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Thomas Reiter spent time stowing discarded equipment and trash in the ISS Progress 21 cargo carrier currently docked to the station. They also worked on packing selected cargo for return to Earth on the ISS Soyuz 12 capsule.

Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams also conducted a fit check of the seats in the ISS Soyuz 12 capsule. The fit check assures that the crew members, whose bodies gain in length during longer-term stays aboard the station, will still be adequately protected by the seat liners for their return home.

The Expedition 13 crew also conducted a teleconference with the Expedition 14 crew to pass on lessons learned and begin the handover process before the actual arrival of the Expedition 14 crew.

The arrival of the station's next visitors, the STS-115 crew, has been postponed. The launch of STS-115 is scheduled for no earlier than Friday morning. For the latest news on the launch of Atlantis on STS-115, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

Source: NASA - Space Station

Station Crew Continues Normal Duties


Image above: Golden Gate, San Francisco, Calif. is featured in this image
photographed by an Expedition 13 crew member on the International
Space Station.
Credit: NASA

The Expedition 13 crew members are looking forward to the arrival of their next visitors, the crew of STS-115. The launch of STS-115 is scheduled for 11:41 a.m. EDT Friday. For the latest news on the launch of Atlantis on STS-115, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Thomas Reiter spent time stowing discarded equipment and trash in the ISS Progress 21 cargo carrier currently docked to the station. They also worked on packing selected cargo for return to Earth on the ISS Soyuz 12 capsule.

Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams also conducted a fit check of the seats in the ISS Soyuz 12 capsule. The fit check assures that the crew members, whose bodies gain in length during longer-term stays aboard the station, will still be adequately protected by the seat liners for their return home.

The Expedition 13 crew also conducted a teleconference with the Expedition 14 crew to pass on lessons learned and begin the handover process before the actual arrival of the Expedition 14 crew.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Atlantis En Route to Station


Image above: Astronaut Jeff Williams (left), European Space Agency
(ESA) astronaut Thomas Reiter and cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov pose
for a photo near the Unity node's growing collection of insignias
representing crews who have lived and worked on the International
Space Station.
Credit: NASA

The Expedition 13 crew members are looking forward to the arrival of their next visitors, The Expedition 13 crew is awaiting the arrival of Space Shuttle Atlantis and the STS-115 astronauts. Atlantis began STS-115 when it launched from Kennedy Space Center, Fla., at 11:15 a.m. EDT Saturday. After a two-day chase, Atlantis is scheduled to dock with the station at 6:46 a.m. Monday.

STS-115 will resume the on-orbit construction of the station with the delivery of the P3/4 truss and a new set of solar arrays. After the truss is attached to the station, the STS-115 crew will conduct three spacewalks to outfit the truss and to prepare the arrays for operation. The solar arrays are slated to be unfurled on flight day 6. This is the first station construction mission since STS-113 in late 2002.

In addition to the work outside the station, the STS-115 and Expedition 13 crews will conduct joint operations and transfer cargo between Atlantis and the station. Atlantis is slated to undock from the station on Sept. 17. STS-115 will be the 19th shuttle mission to visit the international outpost.

When Atlantis launched, the station was orbiting the Earth at 50 degrees north latitude and 31 degrees west longitude, between Greenland and Iceland.

For the latest information on STS-115, please visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

Source: NASA - Space Station

STS-115 Delivers Truss, Arrays to Station


Image above: Astronaut Jeff Williams (left), European Space Agency
(ESA) astronaut Thomas Reiter and cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov pose
for a photo near the Unity node's growing collection of insignias
representing crews who have lived and worked on the International
Space Station.
Credit: NASA

The International Space Station is about to start a growth spurt. STS-115, which arrived at 6:48 a.m. EDT today, is the first of a series of missions dedicated to the on-orbit construction of the station.

Space Shuttle Atlantis and the STS-115 crew brought the P3/P4 integrated truss structure, which includes a new set of solar arrays, batteries and associated electronics. The structure will eventually double the station’s capability to generate power from sunlight.

After the 17.5-ton, 45-foot-long truss is attached to the station on Tuesday, the STS-115 crew will conduct three spacewalks to outfit the truss and to prepare the arrays for operation. The solar arrays are slated to be unfurled on flight day 6 to a total length of 240 feet.

In addition to the work outside the station, the STS-115 and Expedition 13 crews will transfer cargo between Atlantis and the station. Undocking is set for Sept. 17. STS-115 is the 19th shuttle mission to visit the international outpost and the first assembly mission since STS-113 in late 2002.

For the latest information on STS-115, please visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

Source: NASA - Space Station

Station Receives New Component


Image above: The station's robotic arm and newly attached truss segment
are visible in this image.
Credit: NASA

The International Space Station grew in size Tuesday with the addition of the P3/P4 integrated truss structure. It was delivered by STS-115, the first space shuttle mission devoted to station construction since late 2002. STS-115 is the first in a series of missions that will increase the station’s size and capabilities.

The new truss contains a set of solar arrays, batteries and associated electronics. The P3/P4 will provide power, communication and data services to the station. The solar arrays will double the station’s capability to generate power from sunlight when they go online during a future mission.

The STS-115 crew is conducting three spacewalks to outfit the 17.5-ton, 45-foot-long truss and to prepare the arrays for operation. The solar arrays will be unfurled on flight day 6 to a total length of 240 feet.

In addition to the construction work, the STS-115 astronauts and the Expedition 13 crew will transfer cargo between the two vehicles. Space Shuttle Atlantis and the STS-115 crew are slated to undock Sunday.

For the latest information on STS-115, please visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

Source: NASA - Space Station

Anousheh Ansari, has been officially named to the Soyuz TMA-9 primary crew. The first female spaceflight participant will launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on September 18, 2006 en route to the International Space Station (ISS) along with the Expedition 14 crew members: NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin.

Credits: Prodea Systems

12 September 2006
Scheduled to lift off on 18 September 2006 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, along with Expedition 14 crew members, NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin, Iranian-American entrepreneur Anousheh Ansari will be the test subject for four ESA experiments during her stay on board the International Space Station.

The experiments in which Ansari will participate are in the area of human physiology: from the search of the effects of space radiation on the crew, to the investigation of the mechanisms governing the development of muscle atrophy in astronauts. The experiments aim to investigate the reaction of the human organism to the space environment, with the ultimate objective of optimizing the conditions for human permanence in space, and to cast light on common diseases affecting people on Earth.
The European Experiment Programme that is currently carried out by ESA on the International Space Station (ISS) covers a large range of scientific disciplines, which encompass physics, chemistry, biology, physiology, psychology and related topics.


Astronaut Jeffrey N. Williams (left), Expedition 13 NASA space station science officer and flight engineer; ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter, flight engineer; and cosmonaut Pavel V. Vinogradov, commander representing Russia's Federal Space Agency, pose on 4 September 2006 for a photo near the Unity node's growing collection of insignias representing crews who have lived and worked on the International Space Station

Credits: NASA

Astronauts on board the ISS have a very busy schedule, performing every day experiments on behalf of scientists on Earth, and acting as subjects of experiments themselves.

A number of experiments - especially in the area of human physiology - fall under a long-term plan and require a high number of observations to be carried out in various sessions and on a considerable number of different subjects. For this reason such experiments involve not only the permanent crew of the ISS, currently constituting three members, but also short term visitors, who are regularly ferried to the Station with the Soyuz or with the Shuttle.

This is the case for ESA astronauts, who normally perform a series of experiments during their short missions to the ISS. In 2005, it was Spaceflight Participant Gregory Olsen who acted as a subject for ESA experiments in the frame of an agreement between ESA and Space Adventures, the company who organises the participation to spaceflight missions for private explorers. Soon it will be the turn of the next spaceflight participant Anousheh Ansari to contribute to ESA’s scientific programme.


Effect of space radiation on the human body: Chromosome-2 Experiment

During space flights, crew members are constantly exposed to different types of radiation. Such radiation damages the cellular DNA, and may induce mutations, which could be associated with an enhanced risk of developing cancer. Induced mutations can be analyzed in lymphocytes (white blood cells): the Chromosome-2 Experiment studies chromosome change and sensitivity to radiation in lymphocytes of ISS crew members, with the objective to assess the genetic impact of radiation on the crew.

The quality of the radiation field cannot be simulated on Earth and it is therefore necessary to conduct the analyses in the space environment. The results of the study will enable a better assessment of the genetic risk for humans in space and, in the long-term, will contribute to optimise radiation shielding for future space exploration missions.

Ansari will act as a test subject providing blood samples before and after her flight.

Looking for bacteria onboard the ISS: SAMPLE Experiment


SAMPLE will look for bacteria

Credits: Madigan, M.T. Martinko, and J. Parker

The danger of contamination by pathogenic organisms is a serious problem on space missions. In weightlessness, some bacteria grow faster than under conditions on Earth, and they are much more antibiotic resistant. However, it is not known whether and to which extent this different behaviour of bacteria could affect the health of the crew or damage technical equipment on board.

The SAMPLE experiment's aim is to investigate what kind of microbial species are to be found on board the International Space Station and how these adapt to space environment conditions. Ansari will take samples from herself and from certain areas of the Station, by rubbing swab sticks over surfaces susceptible to having bacteria, for example switches, keyboards and personal hygiene equipment.

Where does back pain come from? Low Back Pain Experiment


The development of low back pain on crews during spaceflight will be studied

Credits: Stanford School of Medicine

In the weightless conditions of space, astronauts often experience some form of lower back pain. This is extraordinary since, on Earth, back pain is associated with heavy spinal load, mainly as a consequence of gravity.

Scientists have therefore developed a hypothesis that lower back pain may develop without compression of the vertebrae. The explanation of the problem comes from the fact that the lower part of the vertebrae, the sacral bone, has to be kept in position between the two hipbones. And a deep ‘muscle corset’ plays an important role in this process, with the tonic postural muscles being activated when getting up in the morning and deactivated when resting.

It is hypothesised that this protective mechanism does not work in space. In space astronauts’ bones lose calcium and strength, their muscles lose mass: therefore, it is thought that the deep muscle corset atrophies during spaceflight, leading to strain in certain ligaments, in particular in the lower region in the back, and causing as a consequence low back pain in astronauts.

The Low Back Pain experiment aims at studying the development of low back pain on crews during spaceflight, with the objective to assess the level of atrophy in the deep muscle corset in response to exposure to microgravity.

Ansari will complete a daily questionnaire during her flight reporting on back complaints. The results will be compared with similar pre-flight and post-flight ground measurements, in order to obtain a better understanding of the correlation between muscle use/disuse and back pain, which would be useful for developing countermeasures for this problem not only in space but also on Earth.

What are the causes of anaemia? NEOCYTOLYSIS experiment



Loss of red blood cell mass, volume of blood plasma, and haemoglobin has been continuously observed in astronauts during space missions. This phenomenon has been termed “spatial anaemia” and the underlying mechanisms causing this are still not clear. This experiment aims to determine the degree of ‘stress’ that the red blood cells have undergone to bring about cell damage

The NEOCYTOLYSIS experiment aims at studying the effects of weightlessness on the hemopoietic system, the system of the body responsible for the formation of blood cells.

The experiment will study a process called neocytolysis, i.e. the selective destruction of young red blood cells. This process has been observed in astronauts as an adaptive response of the body to the specific condition of weightlessness. In space, in absence of gravity, the blood which is normally held in the extremities by gravity shifts centrally, causing high red cells density in blood vessels in the upper part of the body; this induces a response, which aims at resetting the mass of red blood cells by means of their selective destruction, and that causes in turn a temporary anaemia in astronauts over the first days after landing.

This process is therefore regarded for astronauts as a natural response to specific environmental conditions. However, it may also occur in pathological conditions, for example as anaemia in patients affected by renal failure. The experiment will be therefore of crucial importance for casting light and possibly for contributing to the development of solutions for this serious disease.

Ansari will act as a test subject providing blood samples before and after her flight.

Source: ESA - News

14th Station Crew to Launch from Baikonur

Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin of the 14th International Space Station crew are scheduled to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan a few minutes after midnight EDT on Sept. 18 to begin a six-month stay in space.

With them will be American Anousheh Ansari, the first female spaceflight participant to visit the orbiting laboratory. She is flying under contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency.


Image above: Michael E. Lopez-Alegria (right),
Mikhail Tyurin and Anousheh Ansari.
Photo credit: Roscosmos / Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center

She will return to Earth with the Expedition 13 crew, Commander Pavel Vinogradov and NASA Science Officer Jeff Williams, on Sept. 28. Expedition 13 launched to the station on March 30.

After its 12:09 a.m. launch Sept. 18, Expedition 14's Soyuz TMA spacecraft is scheduled to dock at the station at 1:28 a.m. on Sept. 20.

There they will be greeted by their third Expedition 14 crew member, European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter of Germany. Reiter arrived at the station aboard Discovery on the STS-121 mission in July. He joined Expedition 13, bringing the number of station crew members to three for the first time since May 2003.

Lopez-Alegria, 45, will be making his fourth flight into space. He flew three space shuttle missions. On Expedition 14, he also will serve as NASA science officer.

Tyurin, 46, is making his second spaceflight. He served as a member of the station's Expedition 3 crew in 2001, which launched in August and landed in December. He is the second long-duration crew member to be assigned to a second expedition. Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev was a member of the Expedition 1 and Expedition 11 station crews.

Reiter is the first European Space Agency astronaut to server as a long-duration International Space Station crew member. His presence for the first part of Expedition 14 will be valuable for his new crewmates because of his knowledge of the station and its systems. Previous oncoming crews have relied on intense handovers of just over a week with the predecessor crew members before taking over station operations themselves.

Reiter, who served as a crew member on the Russian space station Mir for six months in 1995, is scheduled to return to Earth aboard Discovery on STS-116 in December.

Discovery will bring Astronaut Sunita Williams to the station to replace Reiter and join Expedition 14 in progress. Williams, 41, a Navy commander, will be making her first spaceflight. She is scheduled to remain on the station until next spring.

Discovery also will bring the P5 truss to the station. While it is docked, station and shuttle crews will reconfigure the orbiting laboratory's electrical system and activate the new solar arrays brought up by Atlantis on STS-115.

Expedition 14 will do as many as four spacewalks, perhaps three in January in U.S. spacesuits, to reconfigure the station's permanent cooling system. The other would be done earlier in Russian spacesuits to retrieve and install experiments.

Two Expedition 15 crew members are expected to arrive next spring to replace Lopez-Alegria and Tyurin

Source: NASA - Space Station - Expeditions

Expedition 14 to Launch Sunday; Station Grows in Size


Image above: Space Shuttle Atlantis astronauts spread a second set of
wings for the International Space Station.
Credit: NASA

Preparations are continuing at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for the launch of the Expedition 14 crew. Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin are scheduled to launch atop a Soyuz rocket on Sept. 18 at 12:09 a.m. EDT and arrive at the station at 1:24 a.m. Sept. 20. The duo will replace Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and NASA Science Officer Jeff Williams, who are wrapping up a six-month stay on the station. European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter will stay on the station and join Expedition 14.

Flying to the station with Lopez-Alegria and Tyurin will be American Anousheh Ansari, the first female spaceflight participant to visit the orbiting laboratory. She is flying under contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency.

Meanwhile in orbit, a new truss segment and solar arrays were added to Expedition 14’s future home. The visiting STS-115 crew attached the P3/P4 truss integrated truss segment on Tuesday and unfurled the solar arrays on Thursday.

STS-115 is the first construction mission to visit the station since late 2002. STS-116 is the next construction mission and it is scheduled to visit the station and Expedition 14 as early as December.

For the latest information on STS-115, please visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition 14’s Soyuz Rocket at Pad for Monday’s Launch


Image above: Michael E. Lopez-Alegria (top right), Anousheh Ansari
(left) and Mikhail Tyurin at the launch pad at Baikonur Cosmodrome.
Credit: Victor Zelentsov/NASA

The International Space Station’s next crew will begin the journey to its home new early Monday. The Soyuz rocket that will carry Expedition 14 into space is slated to lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 12:09 a.m. EDT.

Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin are scheduled to arrive at the station at 1:24 a.m. Wednesday. Flying to the station with them will be American Anousheh Ansari, the first female spaceflight participant to visit the orbiting laboratory. She is flying under contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency.

Lopez-Alegria and Tyurin will replace Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and NASA Science Officer Jeff Williams, who are wrapping up a six-month stay on the station. European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter will remain on the station and join Expedition 14.

Early Sunday, Expedition 13 concluded a busy week of joint operations with STS-115. The six-member STS-115 crew arrived at the station Sept. 11 aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis. The STS-115 and Expedition 13 crews used the shuttle and station robotic arms to install the P3/P4 truss and its solar arrays on to the station. The shuttle crew then conducted three spacewalks to prepare the addition for operation.

Atlantis undocked at 8:50 a.m. Sunday. STS-115 is the first construction mission to visit the station since late 2002. STS-116 is the next construction mission and it is scheduled to visit the station and Expedition 14 as early as December.

The Expedition 13 crew is also preparing for the departure of the Progress 21 cargo ship, which is filled with trash and other unneeded items. The Progress will undock at 8:28 p.m. Monday. It will then be commanded to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere to burn up harmlessly.

For the latest information on STS-115, please visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition 14 Crew En Route to Station


Image above: The Soyuz rocket carrying Expedition 14 lifts off from
the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Credit: NASA TV

The International Space Station’s next crew began the journey to its home new early Monday. The Soyuz rocket carrying Expedition 14 into space lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 12:09 a.m. EDT.

Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin are scheduled to arrive at the station at 1:24 a.m. Wednesday. Flying to the station with them will be American Anousheh Ansari, the first female spaceflight participant to visit the orbiting laboratory. She is flying under contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency.

Lopez-Alegria and Tyurin will replace Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and NASA Science Officer Jeff Williams, who are wrapping up a six-month stay on the station. European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter will remain on the station and join Expedition 14.

Early Sunday, Expedition 13 concluded a busy week of joint operations with STS-115. The six-member STS-115 crew arrived at the station Sept. 11 aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis. The STS-115 and Expedition 13 crews used the shuttle and station robotic arms to install the P3/P4 truss and its solar arrays on to the station. The shuttle crew then conducted three spacewalks to prepare the addition for operation.

Atlantis undocked at 8:50 a.m. Sunday. STS-115 is the first construction mission to visit the station since late 2002. STS-116 is the next construction mission and it is scheduled to visit the station and Expedition 14 as early as December.

The Expedition 13 crew is also preparing for the departure of the Progress 21 cargo ship, which is filled with trash and other unneeded items. The Progress will undock at 8:28 p.m. Monday. It will then be commanded to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere to burn up harmlessly.

For the latest information on STS-115, please visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

Source: NASA - Space Station

14th Station Crew Launches from Baikonur

Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin of the 14th International Space Station crew launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 12:09 a.m. EDT Monday to begin a six-month stay in space.


Image above: The Soyuz spacecraft carrying
the Expedition 14 crew and spaceflight
participant Anousheh Ansari lifts off from
the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Credit: NASA TV

With them is American Anousheh Ansari, the first female spaceflight participant to visit the orbiting laboratory. She is flying under contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency.

She will return to Earth with the Expedition 13 crew, Commander Pavel Vinogradov and NASA Science Officer Jeff Williams, on Sept. 28. Expedition 13 launched to the station on March 30.

Expedition 14's Soyuz TMA spacecraft is scheduled to dock at the station at 1:24 a.m. on Sept. 20.

There they will be greeted by their third Expedition 14 crew member, European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter of Germany. Reiter arrived at the station aboard Discovery on the STS-121 mission in July. He joined Expedition 13, bringing the number of station crew members to three for the first time since May 2003.

Lopez-Alegria, 45, will be making his fourth flight into space. He flew three space shuttle missions. On Expedition 14, he also will serve as NASA science officer.

Tyurin, 46, is making his second spaceflight. He served as a member of the station's Expedition 3 crew in 2001, which launched in August and landed in December. He is the second long-duration crew member to be assigned to a second station expedition. Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev was a member of the Expedition 1 and Expedition 11 station crews.

Reiter is the first European Space Agency astronaut to server as a long-duration International Space Station crew member. His presence for the first part of Expedition 14 will be valuable for his new crewmates because of his knowledge of the station and its systems. Previous oncoming crews have relied on intense handovers of just over a week with the predecessor crew members before taking over station operations themselves.


Image above: Michael E. Lopez-Alegria (right),
Mikhail Tyurin and Anousheh Ansari.
Photo credit: Roscosmos / Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center

Reiter, who served as a crew member on the Russian space station Mir for six months in 1995, is scheduled to return to Earth aboard Discovery on STS-116 in December.

Discovery will bring Astronaut Sunita Williams to the station to replace Reiter and join Expedition 14 in progress. Williams, 41, a Navy commander, will be making her first spaceflight. She is scheduled to remain on the station until next spring.

Discovery also will bring the P5 truss to the station. While it is docked, station and shuttle crews will reconfigure the orbiting laboratory's electrical system and activate the new solar arrays brought up by Atlantis on STS-115.

Expedition 14 will do as many as four spacewalks, perhaps three in January in U.S. spacesuits, relating to station assembly. The other would be done earlier in Russian spacesuits to retrieve and install experiments.

Two Expedition 15 crew members are expected to arrive next spring to replace Lopez-Alegria and Tyurin.

Source: NASA - Space Station - Expeditions

Two views of the Soyuz TMA-9 spacecraft launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan Sept. 18, 2006 carrying a new crew to the International Space Station.

Image credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

+ Top Image Full Resolution

+ Bottom Image Full Resolution

Source: NASA - Multimedia - Image of the Day Gallery

Expedition 14 Crew En Route to Station


Image above: The Soyuz rocket carrying Expedition 14 lifts off from
the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Credit: NASA TV

The International Space Station’s next crew began the journey to its new home early Monday. The Soyuz rocket carrying Expedition 14 into space lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 12:09 a.m. EDT.

Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin are scheduled to arrive at the station at 1:24 a.m. Wednesday. Flying with them is American Anousheh Ansari, who will be the first female spaceflight participant to visit the station. She is flying under contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency.

Lopez-Alegria and Tyurin will replace Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and NASA Science Officer Jeff Williams. European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter will remain on the station and join Expedition 14.

Early Sunday, Expedition 13 concluded a busy week of joint operations with STS-115. The six-member STS-115 crew arrived at the station Sept. 11 aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis. The STS-115 and Expedition 13 crews installed the P3/P4 truss and its solar arrays on to the station. The shuttle crew then conducted three spacewalks to prepare the addition for operation.

For the latest information on STS-115, please visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

The Progress 21 cargo ship, which is filled with trash and other unneeded items, is scheduled to undock from the station at 8:28 p.m. Monday and later be commanded to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.

Odor Detected on Space Station; Crew Resumes Normal Activities

Expedition 13 crew members worked through an emergency procedure this morning after the oxygen generation unit apparently overheated. The overheating is believed to have melted a rubber seal, causing a small amount of smoke, a strong odor and possibly releasing a small amount of a chemical irritant.

The crew manually initiated a fire alarm onboard to allow software to automatically shut down ventilation fans between the station modules. Flight controllers also checked for contaminants in the cabin air and found only low levels that posed no danger to the crew. However, the crew was asked to briefly don surgical masks, goggles and gloves to protect against possible irritation by a chemical used in the Elektron, potassium hydroxide, that may have leaked.

Vinogradov reported that a small amount of clear liquid had leaked from an apparently damaged seal on the Elektron and cleaned it up, sealing it in airtight bags. Within an hour, the crew had powered back on all station ventilation equipment and had returned to working on normal activities.

International Space Station Program Manager Mike Suffredini said the incident will have no impact on the upcoming arrival of the Expedition 14 crew on Wednesday.

Images of an Elektron oxygen generation system:
+ View low resolution image | + View high resolution image
+ View low resolution image

Source: NASA - Space Station

KAZAKHSTAN, Baikonur : The Russian Soyuz TMA-9 rocket carrying the world's first female space tourist, Anoushen Ansari, US Astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin takes off from the Baikonur cosmodrome, in Kazakhstan, early 18 September 2006. The Soyuz TMA-9 spacecraft carrying the world's first female tourist and the two professional astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) has successfully entered orbit, officials at the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan said.

Credits: AFP PHOTO / MAXIM MARMUR

18 September 2006
At 06:10 CEST this morning a Soyuz TMA-9 successfully lifted off from Baikonur in Kazakhstan. On board the flight to the International Space Station are Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin, NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria and the first woman space tourist, Iranian-born Anousheh Ansari.

The Soyuz spacecraft is now in target orbit at an altitude of over 200 km and is expected to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday, 20 September at 07:28 CEST . “All the space vehicle’s systems have been functioning smoothly,” said Mission Control spokesman Valery Lyndin.
During her 10-day stay on the ISS, 40-year-old Ms Ansari, who is now a US citizen, will conduct four experiments for ESA.

The four ESA experiments are:

• Chromosome-2, to investigate the effects of space radiation on crew members
• SAMPLE, to examine the effects of bacteria on the health of space crews and the technical equipment on board
• NEOCYTOLYSIS, and experiment to study the effects of weightlessness on the hemopoietic system the system responsible for the formation of blood cells in the body
• the Low-Back Pain experiment, to improve understanding of the correlation between muscle use/disuse and back pain, and aid in developoing countermeasures to assist astronauts and also sufferers on Earth.

The ESA experiments form part of the European Experiment Programme being carried out on the ISS. They cover a large range of scientific disciplines including physics, chemistry, biology, physiology, psychology and other related topics. Many of the experiments require a high number of observations that need to be carried out in various sessions on as many people as possible. This is why all those staying on the ISS, including short-stay visitors such as Ms Ansari, are asked to help out.

To prepare for the arrival of the new crew members and make way for the Soyuz capsule, the Atlantis shuttle undocked from the ISS on Sunday. Lopez-Alegria and Tyurin join ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter, who has been on board the ISS since his arrival in July on the space shuttle Discovery. Reiter is the first non-Russian non-US astronaut to be a permanent ISS crew member and he will remain on the ISS until December.

Source: ESA - News

Expedition 14 to Arrive at Space Station Early Wednesday


Image above: The Soyuz rocket carrying Expedition 14 lifts off from
the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Credit: NASA TV

The Soyuz TMA 9 spacecraft carrying the Expedition 14 crew continues its chase of the International Space Station. The Soyuz is scheduled to dock with the station at 1:24 a.m. EDT Wednesday.

Earlier today, the Soyuz crew members had a conversation with the station’s current residents, Expedition 13, and the six-member crew of Space Shuttle Atlantis. The three-way conversation was managed by the Mission Control Center in Houston.

Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin will replace Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and NASA Science Officer Jeff Williams. European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter will remain on the station and join Expedition 14.

Flying with Expedition 14 is American Anousheh Ansari, who will be the first female spaceflight participant to visit the station. She is flying under contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency.

Early Sunday, Expedition 13 concluded a busy week of joint operations with STS-115. The STS-115 and Expedition 13 crews installed the P3/P4 truss and its solar arrays on to the station. The shuttle crew then conducted three spacewalks to prepare the addition for operation.

For the latest information on STS-115, please visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

The Progress 21 cargo ship, which was filled with trash and other unneeded items, undocked from the station about 8:30 p.m. Monday and was later commanded to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.[/url]

Source: NASA - Space Station

14th Station Crew Docks with Space Station

Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin of the 14th International Space Station crew docked at the International Space Station at 1:21 a.m. EDT Wednesday to begin a six-month stay on the orbiting laboratory.

With Tyurin at the controls, their Soyuz TMA-9 spacecraft docked smoothly at the aft port of the Zvezeda service module. They launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan early Monday.


Image above: Michael E. Lopez-Alegria (right),
Mikhail Tyurin and Anousheh Ansari.
Photo credit: Roscosmos / Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center

With them was American Anousheh Ansari, the first female spaceflight participant to visit the station. She is flying under contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency.

She will return to Earth with the Expedition 13 crew, Commander Pavel Vinogradov and NASA Science Officer Jeff Williams, who welcomed the new arrivals, Sept. 28. Expedition 13 launched to the station on March 30.

The new crewmen also were greeted by the third Expedition 14 crew member, European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter of Germany. Reiter arrived at the station aboard Discovery on the STS-121 mission in July.

Reiter joined Expedition 13, bringing the number of station crew members to three for the first time since May 2003. He will remain on board as a member of the Expedition 14 crew.

Lopez-Alegria, 45, is making his fourth flight into space. He flew three space shuttle missions. On Expedition 14, he also will serve as NASA science officer.


Image above: The Soyuz spacecraft carrying the
Expedition 14 crew and spaceflight participant
Anousheh Ansari approaches the International
Space Station.
Credit: NASA TV

Tyurin, 46, is making his second spaceflight. He served as a member of the station's Expedition 3 crew in 2001, which launched in August and landed in December. He is the second long-duration crew member to be assigned to a second station expedition. Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev was a member of the Expedition 1 and Expedition 11 station crews.

Reiter is the first European Space Agency astronaut to serve as a long-duration International Space Station crew member. His presence for the first part of Expedition 14 will be valuable for his new crewmates because of his knowledge of the station and its systems. Previous oncoming crews have relied on intense handovers of just over a week with the predecessor crew members before taking over station operations themselves.

Reiter, who served as a crew member on the Russian space station Mir for six months in 1995, is scheduled to return to Earth aboard Discovery on STS-116 in December.

Discovery will bring Astronaut Sunita Williams to the station to replace Reiter and join Expedition 14 in progress. Williams, 41, a Navy commander, will be making her first spaceflight. She is scheduled to remain on the station until next spring.

Discovery also will bring the P5 truss to the station. While it is docked, station and shuttle crews will reconfigure the orbiting laboratory's electrical system and activate the new solar arrays brought up by Atlantis on STS-115.

Expedition 14 will do as many as four spacewalks, perhaps three in January in U.S. spacesuits, relating to station assembly. The other would be done earlier in Russian spacesuits to retrieve and install experiments.

Two Expedition 15 crew members are expected to arrive next spring to replace Lopez-Alegria and Tyurin.

Source: NASA - Station - Expeditions

Expedition 14 Arrives at Space Station


Image above: The Expedition 13 crew welcomes Expedition 14 and
spaceflight participant Anousheh Ansari aboard the International Space Station.
Credit: NASA TV

Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin entered their new home, the International Space Station, at 4:34 a.m. EDT today. They are in the early hours of a six-month stay at the orbital outpost, which began when the Soyuz TMA 9 spacecraft docked at 1:21 a.m.

They were greeted by the Expedition 13 crew members upon floating through the hatch between the station and the Soyuz spacecraft.

Accompanying Expedition 14 is American Anousheh Ansari, who is the first female spaceflight participant to visit the station. She is flying under contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency.

Lopez-Alegria and Tyurin will replace Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and NASA Science Officer Jeff Williams. European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter will remain on the station and join Expedition 14.

Vinogradov, Williams and Ansari are slated to return to Earth on Sept. 28.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition Crews Conduct Joint Operations, Watch Shuttle Re-entry


Image above: The Expedition 13 crew welcomes Expedition 14 and
spaceflight participant Anousheh Ansari aboard the International Space Station.
Credit: NASA TV

The Expedition 13 and 14 crews continue joint operations today aboard the International Space Station. The two crews also got a bird’s-eye view of Space Shuttle Atlantis’ re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.

Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin arrived at the station Wednesday to begin their six-month tour of duty. They are replacing Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and NASA Science Officer Jeff Williams.

European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter, who arrived at the station in July, switched from Expedition 13 to Expedition 14 on Wednesday.

Also at the station is American Anousheh Ansari, who is the first female spaceflight participant to visit the station. She is flying under contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency. She arrived with Expedition 14.

As they watched Atlantis create a glowing contrail during its plunge into the atmosphere, Williams and Lopez-Alegria provided commentary of the re-entry to the Mission Control Center in Houston. The station was a few hundred miles ahead of the shuttle at the time. Atlantis and the STS-115 crew were returning home after delivering the P3/P4 truss to the station last week. Atlantis touched down at 6:21 a.m. EDT at Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

Vinogradov, Williams and Ansari are slated to return to Earth on Sept. 28.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Click image for hi-res JPG (size 1372 kb)

This spectacular image shows the transit of the International Space Station (ISS) and Space Shuttle Atlantis in front of the Sun on 17 September 2006, taken by amateur photographer Thierry Legault. It is taken from Mamers, in Normandy (FR)

Source: ESA - Focus On

New Expedition 14 Crew Takes Over Station


Image above: European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter in the
Destiny laboratory.
Credit: NASA

Handover activities continue as Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer and NASA Science Officer Jeff Williams get ready to return to Earth after their six-month tour of duty aboard the station. Spaceflight participant Anousheh Ansari will return with them on Sept. 28.

A teleconference was conducted this morning with Russian specialists to discuss the plans for the Elektron oxygen generation system. The current plan is to conduct repairs Saturday and restart the Elektron on Tuesday.

In other activities this week, the Expedition 13 and 14 crews and Ansari conducted a joint press conference with journalists in Houston. Both station crews participated in interviews with ABC News and Wisconsin Public Radio, and also spoke with the NEEMO 11 crew in the Aquarius underwater laboratory off Key Largo in the Florida Keys.

+ Read more about NEEMO

The crews will hold a station change of command ceremony on Sept. 27. Thursday, Sept. 28, at 1:35 p.m. CDT, NASA TV will begin coverage of a farewell ceremony and closing of the hatches as the Expedition 13 crew and Ansari prepare to depart.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition 14 Takes Command, Expedition 13 Prepares for Earth


Image above: European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter in the
Destiny laboratory.
Credit: NASA

Handover activities continue as Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight New station residents Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin are in charge of the orbiting complex. Flight Engineer Thomas Reiter officially joined Expedition 14 last week.

Meanwhile, Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams are preparing to return to Earth on Thursday, Sept. 28. Spaceflight Participant Anousheh Ansari will also end her visit that day and return with Expedition 13.

A formal change of command ceremony from Expedition 13 to Expedition 14 will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 27. NASA TV will begin coverage of a farewell ceremony and closing of the hatches on Thursday, Sept. 28, at 1:35 p.m. CDT, as the Expedition 13 crew and Ansari prepare to depart. They are scheduled to land in Kazakhstan at 8:10 p.m. CDT.

As the crew handover proceeds, both crews continue science and maintenance activities, as well as exercise. The Elektron oxygen generator was serviced over the weekend and is expected to be reactivated Tuesday.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Astronaut Michael E. Lopez-Alegria (top), Expedition 14 commander and NASA space station science officer, and cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin, flight engineer representing Russia's Federal Space Agency, participate in a training session in a Soyuz spacecraft mockup/trainer at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia. Lopez-Alegria and Tyurin are attired in training versions of their Russian Sokol launch and entry suits.

Image credit: NASA

+ Full Resolution


Source: NASA - Multimedia - Image of the Day Gallery

Technicians continued to work on the Soyuz TMA-9 spacecraft in the Soyuz Integration Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan prior to the final mating of the capsule to its Soyuz rocket as they prepared for the Expedition 14 launch to the International Space Station.

Image credit: Victor Zelentsov/NASA

+ Full Resolution


Source: NASA - Multimedia - Image of the Day Gallery

Cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin, flight engineer representing Russia's Federal Space Agency, and astronaut Michael E. Lopez-Alegria (bottom), Expedition 14 commander and NASA space station science officer, rehearsed an extravehicular activity with a full-scale training model of the International Space Station's Zvezda Service Module in the Hydrolab facility at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia. SCUBA-equipped divers in the water assist the crewmembers in their rehearsal, which prepared them for work on the exterior of the station. Lopez-Alegria and Tyurin are attired in a training version of his Russian Orlan spacesuit.

Image credit: NASA

+ Full Resolution


Source: NASA - Multimedia - Image of the Day Gallery

Space Station Crew to Return to Earth

Commander Pavel Vinogradov and NASA Science Officer Jeff Williams, the 13th crew of the International Space Station, will undock from the station in their Soyuz spacecraft at 5:53 p.m. EDT Thursday for a landing at 9:14 p.m. in the steppes of Kazakhstan.

With them will be Spaceflight Participant Anousheh Ansari, an American businesswoman who flew to the space station with the Expedition 14 crew and is spending about eight days aboard. She was on the station under a contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos).


Image above: The departing members of Expedition 13
including Spaceflight Participant Anousheh Ansari are
in the Zvezda service module. From left are, Ansari,
Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer
Jeff Williams.
Credit: NASA

Vinogradov and Williams will spend several weeks in Star City, near Moscow, for debriefing and medical examinations. Vinogradov served aboard the Russian space station Mir for 198 days in late 1997 and early 1998. He did five spacewalks there, and another with Williams. Williams, an Army colonel, flew on STS-101 in May 2000. He did one spacewalk during that flight to the station and two on E13.

They launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan last March 30 and docked with the station April 1. E13 participated in the return to assembly of the station. The Space Shuttle Atlantis brought the P3/P4 truss and its solar wings to the station during its STS-115 mission Sept. 9 to 21. They also continued station maintenance and did scientific experiments.

Before closing the Soyuz-station hatches about 2:45 p.m. Thursday, Vinogradov and Williams will say farewell to the Expedition 14 crew, Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin. That crew launched with Ansari from Baikonur Sept. 18 at 12:09 a.m.

With the departure of E13, the E14 crew will begin the solo portion of its six-month increment.


Image above: A Soyuz spacecraft is photographed
moments after undocking from the International Space
Station on April 8, 2006. Inside were the Expedition 12
crew members and a Brazilian Space Agency astronaut.
Credit: NASA

Lopez-Alegria is a veteran of three spaceflights on the space shuttle, including two missions to the station, where he did five spacewalks. Tyurin spent 125 days aboard the station as a member of the Expedition 3 crew between August and December 2001.

Joining them during their stay on the station is Thomas Reiter, a European Space Agency astronaut from Germany, also flying under a Roscosmos contract. He arrived at the station in July aboard Discovery on STS-121 and served with Expedition 13 during the last part of its increment. He participated in one of the two E13 spacewalks.

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

Source: NASA - Station - Expeditions

Expedition 13 Says Farewell to Station, Ready to Land in Kazakhstan


Image above: European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter in the
Destiny laboratory.
Credit: NASA

Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams said goodbye to the station’s new inhabitants today and readied their Soyuz spacecraft for undocking. Spaceflight Participant Anousheh Ansari is also returning to Earth. She arrived with Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin on Sept. 20.

Vinogradov, Williams and Ansari are scheduled to undock from the station today at 5:53 p.m. EDT then land in Kazakhstan at 9:14 p.m. They leave behind European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter who joined Expedition 13 when Space Shuttle Atlantis dropped him off in July on the STS-121 mission. Reiter is now the Flight Engineer for Expedition 14.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition 13 Says Farewell to Station, Ready to Land in Kazakhstan


Image above: European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter in the
Destiny laboratory.
Credit: NASA

Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov, Flight Engineer Jeff Williams and Spaceflight Participant Anousheh Ansari undocked from the station today at 5:53 p.m. EDT. They are headed for a landing in the steppes of Kazakhstan in a little over three hours.

The station’s new residents are Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin. Thomas Reiter, a European Space Agency astronaut, joined Expedition 14 after having been an Expedition 13 flight engineer since July. Space Shuttle Atlantis took Reiter to the International Space Station returning the orbiting laboratory to a three-person crew. Lopez-Alegria and Tyurin are scheduled for a six-month stay in space. Reiter is expected to return to Earth in December aboard Space Shuttle Discovery. .

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition 13 Lands in Kazakhstan with Ansari


Image above: The Expedition 13 crew along with Spaceflight Particpant
Anousheh Ansari say farewell to the Expedition 14 crew.
Credit: NASA TV

Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov, Flight Engineer Jeff Williams and Spaceflight Participant Anousheh Ansari landed in the steppes of Kazakhstan Thursday at 9:13 p.m. EDT. After saying their farewells to Expedition 14 then entering their Soyuz spacecraft for the ride home, they undocked from the International Space Station at 5:53 p.m.

The station’s new residents are Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin. Thomas Reiter, a European Space Agency astronaut, joined Expedition 14 after having been an Expedition 13 flight engineer since July. Space Shuttle Atlantis took Reiter to the International Space Station returning the orbiting laboratory to a three-person crew. Lopez-Alegria and Tyurin are scheduled for a six-month stay in space. Reiter is expected to return to Earth in December aboard Space Shuttle Discovery.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition 13 Lands in Kazakhstan with Ansari


Image above: From left are, Spaceflight Participant Anousheh Ansari
and the Expedition 13 crew members, Commander Pavel Vinogradov
and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams. Moments earlier they had been
extracted from their Soyuz capsule after returning to Earth.
Photo credit: NASA.
+ View more Expedition 13 landing imagery

Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov, Flight Engineer Jeff Williams and Spaceflight Participant Anousheh Ansari landed in the steppes of Kazakhstan Thursday at 9:13 p.m. EDT. After saying their farewells to Expedition 14 then entering their Soyuz spacecraft for the ride home, they undocked from the International Space Station at 5:53 p.m.

The station’s new residents are Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin. Thomas Reiter, a European Space Agency astronaut, joined Expedition 14 after having been an Expedition 13 flight engineer since July. Space Shuttle Atlantis took Reiter to the International Space Station returning the orbiting laboratory to a three-person crew. Lopez-Alegria and Tyurin are scheduled for a six-month stay in space. Reiter is expected to return to Earth in December aboard Space Shuttle Discovery.

Source: NASA - Space Station

The media advisory is reproduced below:

Oct. 4, 2006

Allard Beutel
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-4769

James Hartsfield
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111

MEDIA ADVISORY: M06-158

NASA Space Station Commander, Crew to Take a Short Trip

The International Space Station's residents will take a brief ride around their home on Tuesday, Oct. 10, and NASA TV will provide live coverage of the short journey.

Expedition 14 Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria, Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin and European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter will shut down vital station systems and undock their Soyuz spacecraft from its port at the aft end of the Zvezda Service Module.

They will then take a 30-minute trip that will relocate the Soyuz to the Earth-facing docking port on the station's Zarya module. The maneuver will free Zvezda's docking port for the arrival of a new Russian Progress cargo spacecraft later this month.

NASA TV coverage of the Soyuz relocation will begin at 2:45 p.m. EDT on Oct. 10. Undocking is scheduled at 3:11 p.m. with re-docking planned at approximately 3:39 p.m.

For NASA TV downlink, streaming video and scheduling information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information about the International Space Station or the Expedition 14 crew, visit

http://www.nasa.gov/station

- end -

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Source: NASA Media Advisory M06-158

Crew Upgrades Software, Continues Experiments


Image above: Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria uses a
computer in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA.

The Expedition 14 crew continues to perform routine station maintenance and cleaning as well as conducting standard procedures done as new Expeditions begin.

Flight Engineer Thomas Reiter finished his third and final day of the current kidney stone experiment session. This long-range investigation involves taking a daily ingestion of either potassium citrate or a placebo. It is to study whether potassium citrate is effective in preventing formation of kidney stones in space.

Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria worked on station computers by reloading them with new updated software. The software upgrades included a new Inventory Management System and new client and file server versions. The software reloads involved nine “client” laptops and a file server laptop.

Source: NASA - Space Station