Cargo Craft Undocking Today


Image above: From left, Flight Engineer Suni Williams, Commander
Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin pose for a
crew portrait in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space
Station.
Image credit: NASA

Today's undocking of the unpiloted ISS Progress 23 cargo craft from the aft port of the Zvezda service module is scheduled for 2:11 p.m. EDT, clearing that port for the flyover relocation of the Soyuz TMA-9 craft by the Expedition 14 crew on Thursday afternoon.

The cargo craft, filled with trash and unneeded items from the station, will be commanded at 6:44 p.m. to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and burn up over the Pacific Ocean. When a Progress cargo craft is undocked and jettisoned, the valuable electronics are retained on the station to be returned to Earth and recycled on a future vehicle.

Earlier Today, Flight Engineer Suni Williams spoke with students at the International School of Brussels in Belgium via ham radio.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Cargo Craft Undocks From Station


Image above: The Progress 23 cargo craft moves away from the International
Space Station shortly after undocking.
Image credit: NASA TV

Tuesday's undocking of the unpiloted ISS Progress 23 cargo craft from the aft port of the Zvezda service module took place at 2:11 p.m. EDT, clearing that port for the flyover relocation of the Soyuz TMA-9 craft by the Expedition 14 crew on Thursday afternoon.

The cargo craft, filled with trash and unneeded items from the station, will be commanded at 6:44 p.m. to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and burn up over the Pacific Ocean. When a Progress cargo craft is undocked and jettisoned, the valuable electronics are retained on the station to be returned to Earth and recycled on a future vehicle.

Earlier Today, Flight Engineer Suni Williams spoke with students at the International School of Brussels in Belgium via ham radio.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Image above: The Progress 23 cargo craft moves away from the International Space Station after undocking. Image credit: NASA TV

between Progrees and Soyuz craft, the obvious reliability of Russian design is a good illistration of why NASA should move foreward with a like minded vehicle design(constellation-orion).......B

It ought to be reliable by now, it is based on a design that is 40 years old. Don't let that deceive you though. The Soyuz, on which Progress is based, has had two fatal accidents and two which involved survivable launch failures (including a launch pad fire in which the crew only just escaped death when the launch escape tower fired at the very last moment before the launch vehicle exploded.

Both Progress and Soyuz have experienced numerous problems, especially with docking. In 1997 the Mir space station was seriously damaged and the crew endangered when Progress M-35 collided with the station, placing a hole in it and putting the Spektr laboratory module permanently out of use.

In 2003 the ISS Expedition 6 crew suffered a "hard landing" when the craft under went a ballistic re-entry instead of using aerodynamic lift to lessen the forces on the crew. The capsule landed 440km (273 miles) short of it's landing zone.

Cargo Craft Undocks From Station


Image above: The Progress 23 cargo craft moves away from the International
Space Station shortly after undocking.
Image credit: NASA TV

Tuesday's undocking of the unpiloted ISS Progress 23 cargo craft from the aft port of the Zvezda service module took place at 2:11 p.m. EDT, clearing that port for the flyover relocation of the Soyuz TMA-9 craft by the Expedition 14 crew on Thursday afternoon.

The cargo craft, filled with trash and unneeded items from the station, was commanded several hours after undocking to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and burn up over the Pacific Ocean. When a Progress cargo craft is undocked and jettisoned, the valuable electronics are retained on the station to be returned to Earth and recycled on a future vehicle.

Earlier Tuesday, Flight Engineer Suni Williams spoke with students at the International School of Brussels in Belgium via ham radio.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Station Crew to Move Soyuz

Their spacecraft will fly independently about a third of the way around the world, but relatively speaking, they'll be going just a little ways.


Image above: Backdropped by a blue and white
Earth, the Soyuz TMA-9 spacecraft approaches
the International Space Station on Sept. 20,
2006.
Credit: NASA

International Space Station Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and flight engineers Mikhail Tyurin and Sunita Williams will move their Soyuz TMA spacecraft from the Earth-facing port of the station's Zarya module to the aft port of the Zvezda module Thursday afternoon.

The move is being made to clear the Zarya port for the arrival of Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov, along with spaceflight participant Charles Simonyi. Docking their Soyuz to Zarya after their scheduled April 7 launch will allow them to avoid a relocation move later in their expedition.

The Soyuz is scheduled to undock from Zarya about 6:30 p.m. EDT. It will move away from the station, then parallel to it and finally back to the station and its new docking port.

The station crew members, wearing their Russian Sokol launch and entry suits, are scheduled to reach Zvezda's aft docking port about 30 minutes after undocking. The Soyuz will wind up about 80 feet from where it started.

Preparations for the move include station crew members putting systems in unmanned configuration. That is done to prepare for the unlikely eventuality that the Soyuz could not redock at the station. If that were to occur, the crew would have to return to Earth.

Live NASA Television coverage of the move is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. It will continue until shortly after the Soyuz docks.

Source: NASA - Station - Expeditions

Crew Readies for Move


Image above: Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria drinks a beverage in
the Zvezda Service Module of the International Space Station.
Image credit: NASA TV

The Expedition 14 crew members enjoyed a half day of off-duty time Wednesday on the eve of their short trip to relocate their Soyuz TMA spacecraft to a different docking port on the International Space Station.

Thursday afternoon, Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and flight engineers Mikhail Tyurin and Sunita Williams will board their Soyuz TMA-9 spacecraft and move it from the Earth-facing port of the station's Zarya module to the aft port of the Zvezda module.

The move is being made to clear the Zarya port for the arrival of Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov, along with spaceflight participant Charles Simonyi. Docking their Soyuz to Zarya after their scheduled April 7 launch will allow them to avoid a relocation move later in their expedition.

In preparation for Thursday's activities, the unpiloted Progress 23 cargo craft was undocked from the aft port of the Zvezda service module on Tuesday. The cargo craft, filled with trash and unneeded items from the station, was commanded several hours after undocking to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and burn up over the Pacific Ocean.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Crew Readies for Move


Image above: From left, Flight Engineer Suni Williams, Commander
Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin pose for a
crew portrait in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station.
Image credit: NASA

The Expedition 14 crew members aboard the International Space Station are preparing to take their Soyuz TMA spacecraft for a short spin today.

Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and flight engineers Mikhail Tyurin and Sunita Williams will board their Soyuz TMA-9 spacecraft and undock it from the Earth-facing port of the station's Zarya module at 6:25 p.m. EDT. With Tyurin at the controls, the craft will be maneuvered to the aft port of the Zvezda module and docked there at 6:55 p.m.

The move is being made to clear the Zarya port for the arrival of Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov, along with spaceflight participant Charles Simonyi. Docking their Soyuz to Zarya after their scheduled April 7 launch will allow them to avoid a relocation move later in their expedition.

Live coverage of the Soyuz move on NASA TV begins at 6 p.m.

+ Watch NASA TV

In preparation for Thursday's activities, the unpiloted Progress 23 cargo craft was undocked from the aft port of the Zvezda service module on Tuesday. The cargo craft, filled with trash and unneeded items from the station, was commanded several hours after undocking to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and burn up over the Pacific Ocean.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Crew Takes Soyuz for a Spin


Image above: From left, Flight Engineer Suni Williams, Commander
Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin pose for a
crew portrait in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station.
Image credit: NASA

Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and flight engineers Mikhail Tyurin and Sunita Williams boarded their Soyuz TMA-9 spacecraft and undocked it from the Earth-facing port of the station's Zarya module at 6:30 p.m. EDT. With Tyurin at the controls, the craft will be maneuvered to the aft port of the Zvezda module and docked there at around 7:00 p.m.

The move is being made to clear the Zarya port for the arrival of Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov, along with spaceflight participant Charles Simonyi. Docking their Soyuz to Zarya after their scheduled April 7 launch will allow them to avoid a relocation move later in their expedition.

Live coverage of the Soyuz move can be seen on NASA TV.

+ Watch NASA TV

In preparation for Thursday's activities, the unpiloted Progress 23 cargo craft was undocked from the aft port of the Zvezda service module on Tuesday. The cargo craft, filled with trash and unneeded items from the station, was commanded several hours after undocking to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and burn up over the Pacific Ocean.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Crew Takes Soyuz for a Spin


Image above: The Soyuz TMA-9 spacecraft undocks from the station's
Zarya module.
Image credit: NASA TV


International Space Station Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and flight engineers Mikhail Tyurin and Sunita Williams moved their Soyuz TMA spacecraft from the Earth-facing port of the station's Zarya module to the aft port of the Zvezda module Thursday.

The Soyuz docked at the Zvezda port at 6:54 p.m. EDT, almost 30 minutes after the undock command. During that time they traveled about a third of the way around the world. On the station, the Soyuz is about 80 feet from where it started.

The move, with Tyurin at the controls, was made to clear the Zarya port for the arrival of Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov, along with spaceflight participant Charles Simonyi.

Docking the Expedition 15 Soyuz to the now-vacant Zarya port after that crew's scheduled April 7 launch will allow them to avoid a relocation move later in their expedition.

In preparation for Thursday's activities, the unpiloted Progress 23 cargo craft was undocked from the aft port of the Zvezda service module on Tuesday. The cargo craft, filled with trash and unneeded items from the station, was commanded several hours after undocking to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and burn up over the Pacific Ocean.

Source: NASA - Space Station

The press release is reproduced below:

Mar. 29, 2007

Allard Beutel
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-4769

James Hartsfield
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-51110

RELEASE: 07-078

NASA Astronaut to Run Boston Marathon in Space


WASHINGTON - NASA astronaut Suni Williams will go faster than anyone has ever gone in the Boston Marathon. She will run the famed race in April as an official entrant from 210 miles above Earth aboard the International Space Station. This will be the first time an astronaut in space will be an official participant in a marathon.

Williams hopes her unique run will serve as an inspiration.

"I encourage kids to start making physical fitness part of their daily lives," Williams said. "I think a big goal like a marathon will help get this message out there."

Williams, who is an accomplished marathoner, has served aboard the space station since December 2006 as a member of the Expedition 14 crew. She will run the race on a station treadmill, circling Earth at least twice in the process, running as fast as eight miles per hour but flying more than five miles each second.

And she will not be alone in her adventure. Her sister Dina Pandya and a fellow NASA astronaut, Karen Nyberg, will run the race in Boston. Williams and Nyberg qualified for the Boston race by finishing among the top 100 females in the Houston Marathon in January 2006.

Exercise is essential in NASA's efforts to counteract the effects of long-duration weightlessness on astronauts' health. For months, Williams has been training for the marathon while aboard the station. She runs at least four times a week, two longer runs and two shorter runs. Station crews are required to exercise on the treadmill, a stationary bike and a resistive exercise machine to counter loss of bone density and muscle mass.

"In microgravity, both of these things start to go away because we don't use our legs to walk around and don't need the bones and muscles to hold us up under the force of gravity," Williams said.

Williams is a native of Needham, Mass., and graduated from Needham High School in 1983. Her family resides near Falmouth, Mass.

NASA will have an exhibit in Boston during the marathon. Nyberg and astronaut Jeff Williams will be available for interviews. Jeff Williams, who is not related to Suni Williams, completed a six-month stay on the station in 2006. NASA's exhibit will be at the John Hancock Sports and Fitness Expo at the Hynes Convention Center April 13-15.

Due to the crew's sleep schedule, WIlliams' run of the marathon on the station may not coincide exactly with the race on the ground, but mission control is working to match the events as closely as possible. This year's marathon is Monday, April 16.

Television and still imagery of Williams' efforts are expected to be available. Video of her training on the International Space Station will air on NASA TV's Video File. For streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information about the Boston Marathon, visit:

http://www.bostonmarathon.org/

For more about the space station, its missions and crews, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

- end -

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

Source: NASA Press Release 07-078

agree , I am certain that prior to the lifting of the"iron curtain" the Russian space agency covered up alot of this programs shortcomings..it just seems like the shuttle launch and reentry dynamics are just to dangerous and unreliable.......B


didnt they just get the antennae to retact on the last progress via recent spacewalk?

03/30/2007 Baikonur launch site, branch office of S.P.Korolev RSC Energia



Preparation of the Soyuz TMA-10 manned spacecraft for launch to the International Space Station is in good progress. Transport vehicle Soyuz TMA-10 loaded with propellants and compressed gases was delivered to the Spacecraft Assembly and Testing Facility for final processing operations.

Source: S.P. Korolev RSC Energia - News

Crew Moves Soyuz to Prep for New Crew


Image above: The Soyuz TMA-9 spacecraft undocks from the station's
Zarya module.
Image credit: NASA TV


The Expedition 14 crew aboard the International Space Station welcomed an off-duty day Friday after a busy week of preparations for the arrival of the next crew in April.

Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and flight engineers Mikhail Tyurin and Suni Williams boarded their Soyuz TMA-9 spacecraft and undocked it from the Earth-facing port of the station's Zarya module at 6:30 p.m. EDT Thursday. With Tyurin at the controls, the craft was maneuvered to the aft port of the Zvezda module and docked at 6:54 p.m.

The move was made to clear the Zarya port for the arrival of Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov, along with spaceflight participant Charles Simonyi on April 9.

On Tuesday, the unpiloted Progress 23 cargo craft was undocked from the aft port of the Zvezda service module. The cargo craft, filled with trash and unneeded items from the station, was commanded several hours after undocking to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and burn up over the Pacific Ocean.

The crew also continued science research aboard the orbital outpost this week, including a successful run with the Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) experiment. During a session with SPHERES, Williams set up a test in which three of the bowling-ball sized satellites flew together in formation within the station cabin for the first time.

Source: NASA - Space Station

the Zvezda service module....B




At a Glance

http://spaceflightnow.com/ops/stage4a/0012...ots/zvezda.html

the TMA 9 Soyuz logo

http://www.spacefacts.de

March 31, 2007 Baikonur launch site, S.P.Korolev RSC Energia branch office

Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft was docked with the transfer compartment in the Spacecraft Assembly and Testing Facility

Click images for larger version

Source: S.P. Korolev RSC Energia - News

April 1, 2007 Baikonur launch site, S.P.Korolev RSC Energia branch office

Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft was docked with the transfer compartment in the Spacecraft Assembly and Testing Facility

Click images for larger version

(Post continued below)

(Continued from above)

Payload shroud roll on to the Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft was performed.

Click images for larger version

Source: S.P. Korolev RSC Energia - News

Expedition 14 Readying the Station for Guests


Image above: Expedition 15 cosmonauts Oleg Kotov (left) and Fyodor
Yurchikhin (center) along with spaceflight participant Charles Simonyi
share a toast during a ceremonial breakfast at the Gagarin Cosmonaut
Training Facility in Star City.
Image credit: NASA


The Expedition 14 crew had an off-duty day Sunday. This week they continue readying the space station for guests arriving next week. Expedition 15 is set to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 1:31 p.m. EDT, April 7. Their Soyuz spacecraft is scheduled to dock at 3:03 p.m. on April 9.

On March 29, Expedition 14 Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and flight engineers Mikhail Tyurin and Suni Williams boarded their Soyuz TMA-9 spacecraft and undocked it from the Earth-facing port of the station's Zarya module. The craft was docked to the aft port of the Zvezda module. The move was necessary to clear the Zarya port for the arrival of Expedition 15.

Today Lopez-Alegria sets a U.S. record for a single flight of 196 days in space.

Space Station Astronaut to Run Marathon in Space

Flight Engineer Suni Williams will run in the Boston Marathon in April as an official entrant from 210 miles above Earth aboard the International Space Station. She will run the race on a station treadmill, circling Earth at least twice in the process, running as fast as eight miles per hour but flying more than five miles each second.

Williams, an accomplished marathoner, hopes her unique run will serve as an inspiration.

"I encourage kids to start making physical fitness part of their daily lives," Williams said. "I think a big goal like a marathon will help get this message out there."

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition 14 Readying the Station for Guests


Image above: Sunita Williams works with the Test of Reaction and
Adaptation Capabilities (TRAC) experiment in the Destiny laboratory
of the International Space Station.
Image credit: NASA

Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin Monday performed another run of the Test of Reaction and Adaptation Capabilities (TRAC) hand-eye coordination experiment. Crew members conduct this test prior to the mission, while on orbit and when they return to Earth.

Also on Monday, Lopez-Alegria conducted a ham radio session with students at St Michael’s Primary School, Daceyville, NSW, Australia.

Flight Engineer Sunita Williams and Lopez-Alegria are scheduled to perform a monthly check of blood pressure and electrocardiogram readings during exercise on the cycle ergometer. Readings will be taken with the blood pressure and electrocardiograph equipment and the heart rate monitor watch. The tests provide automated, noninvasive, blood pressure measurements while also monitoring and displaying accurate heart rates on a continual basis at rest and during exercise.

On Wednesday Lopez-Alegria and Williams will participate in an interview with the Boston Globe and the New England Sports Network to discuss her upcoming Boston Marathon run. The interview is scheduled to take place at 2:20 p.m. EDT on NASA TV.

+ Watch NASA TV

Space Station Astronaut to Run Marathon in Space

Flight Engineer Suni Williams will run in the Boston Marathon in April as an official entrant from 210 miles above Earth aboard the International Space Station. She will run the race on a station treadmill, circling Earth at least twice in the process, running as fast as eight miles per hour but flying more than five miles each second.

Williams, an accomplished marathoner, hopes her unique run will serve as an inspiration.

"I encourage kids to start making physical fitness part of their daily lives," Williams said. "I think a big goal like a marathon will help get this message out there."

Source: NASA - Space Station

April 3, 2007. Baikonur launch site, S.P.Korolev RSC Energia branch office

In the assembly-test facility the prime crew, namely F.N. Yurchikhin (S.P. Korolev RSC Energia), O.V. Kotov (Gagarin CTC), Ch. Simonyi (USA) and the backup crew R.Yu. Romanenko (Gagarin CTC), M.B. Kornienko (S.P. Korolev RSC Energia) of the Soyuz TMA-10 transport spacecraft made a check inspection of the spacecraft in the launch configuration and familiarized with the delivered and returned equipment.
The cosmonauts also carried out an inspection of the Progress M-60 cargo vehicle, familiarized with controls. In the assembly-test facility the Progress M-60 vehicle prelaunch processing in being provided. The vehicle launch is planned for May 12, 2007. Upon the spacecraft inspection the crews reported N.N. Sevastianov RSC Energia General Designer that there are no comments with regard to the Soyuz TMA-10 transport spacecraft and about readiness for further operation.

Click images for larger version

Source: S.P. Korolev RSC Energia - News

Expedition 15 Crew to Launch from Baikonur

04.02.07

Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and cosmonaut Oleg Kotov of the 15th International Space Station crew are scheduled to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at about 1:30 p.m. EDT on April 7 to begin a six-month stay in space.


Image above: Attired in Russian Sokol launch and entry suits,
spaceflight participant Charles Simonyi (left) and cosmonauts
Oleg Kotov (center) and Fyodor Yurchikhin (right) join hands as
they pose for a portrait in Star City, Russia.
Photo credit: Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center

With them will be Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi. He is an American flying under contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency.

He will return to Earth with Expedition 14 crew members, Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin, on April 20. Expedition 14 launched to the station last Sept. 20.

After its April 7 launch, Expedition 15's Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft is scheduled to dock at the station a little after 3 p.m. on April 9.

There they will be greeted by their third Expedition 15 crew member, astronaut Sunita Williams. She launched to the station aboard the STS-116 mission of Discovery on Dec. 9 and arrived at the station Dec. 11. She joined Expedition 14 in progress and will provide Expedition 15 with an experienced flight engineer for the early part of its increment.

Williams, 42, is a Naval Academy graduate and a Navy commander. She flew helicopters and was a helicopter test pilot before being selected as an astronaut in 1998.

Yurchikhin, 48, will be making his second flight into space. He was a member of the STS-112 crew which launched to the station on Oct. 7, 2002, with the Starboard 1 Truss. He holds a Ph.D. in economics and was named a cosmonaut-candidate in 1997.

Kotov, 41, is making his first spaceflight. He graduated from the Moscow Medical Academy in 1988, and was named a cosmonaut-candidate in 1996.

Astronaut Clayton Anderson is scheduled to replace Williams as a flight engineer during Expedition 15. Anderson, 48, holds a master's degree in aerospace engineering from Iowa State University. He was selected as an astronaut in 1998 and will be making his first spaceflight.

Two Expedition 16 crew members are expected to arrive next fall to replace Yurchikhin and Kotov.

Source: NASA - Station - Expeditions

The Race From Space

04.02.07

210 miles above Earth, Expedition 14 crew member Sunita Williams will attempt to do something no other astronaut has ever done. She will run the Boston Marathon while in orbit.


Image above: Astronaut Sunita L. Williams,
Expedition 14 flight engineer, equipped with
a bungee harness, exercises on the Treadmill
Vibration Isolation System (TVIS) in the
Zvezda Service Module of the International
Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA
+ View High-Resolution Image (1.3 Mb)

The 41-year-old plans to run the 26.2-mile race on a treadmill onboard the International Space Station. Although the race starts at 10 a.m. EDT on Earth, Williams’ race may not coincide exactly with the race on the ground because of her sleep schedule. But mission control is working to match the events as closely as possible. This year’s marathon is Monday, April 16.

The Boston Athletic Association has issued Williams bib number 14,000. The bib has been sent electronically to NASA, which has forwarded it to Williams. She’s a Needham, Mass., native and says her reason for running the marathon is simple. “I would like to encourage kids to start making physical fitness part of their daily lives. I thought a big goal like a marathon would help get this message out there.”

Regular exercise is essential to maintaining bone density while in space for astronauts. “In microgravity, both of these things start to go away because we don’t use our legs to walk around and don’t need the bones and muscles to hold us up under the force of gravity,” Williams said.

No one knows that better than Steve Hart. For two years, he’s been Williams’ flight surgeon. “There are specific challenges to staying healthy while in space. Sunita wants to make fitness the hallmark of her expedition stay. She wants to educate and motivate others about being physically fit in general.”

Williams, an accomplished marathoner, has been training for the marathon for months while serving a six-month stint as a flight engineer on board the ISS. She runs at least four times a week, 2 longer runs and 2 shorter runs.

Williams qualified for the marathon when she ran a 3:29:57 in the Houston Marathon last year. Her biggest challenge running in space will be staying harnessed to a specially designed treadmill with bungee cords. Williams says running on the TVIS which stands for Treadmill Vibration Isolation System can sometimes be uncomfortable. The machinery puts a strain on the runner's hips and shoulders.

Mitzi Laughlin is an Astronaut Strength, Conditioning and Rehabilitation coach at Johnson Space Center. She’s been involved in planning Williams' rigorous exercise routine for a year and a half. “We’ve done a lot more TVIS work than we would normally prescribe for any astronaut. Suni has a superb fitness level. She’s dedicated and perhaps one of our best runners.”

Here on Earth, Williams has a huge support network. Fellow NASA astronaut, Karen Nyberg, Williams’ sister Dina Pandya, and long-time friend Ronnie Harris will be among the 24,000 other runners participating in the marathon. Harris met Williams during their days together at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. “Anything regarding Boston makes Suni light up. Her running passion is manifested in the best marathon in the world, which happens to be her home town. You need to experience the Boston Marathon to understand why she is gonna do it in orbit.”

Race organizers say this will be their first satellite venture, and they are thrilled about it. "Suni running 26.2 miles in space on Patriots' Day is really a tribute to the thousands of marathoners who are running here on Earth. She is pioneering new frontiers in the running world,” said Jack Fleming, Boston Athletic Association.

Eldora Valentine
NASA's Johnson Space Center

Source: NASA - Station - Expeditions

April 3, 2007. Baikonur launch site, S.P.Korolev RSC Energia branch office

Orbital module of the Soyuz-FG launch vehicle, containing the Soyuz TMA-10 manned spacecraft was transported from the spacecraft processing facility for the general integration with LV.

Click images for larger version

Source: S.P. Korolev RSC Energia - News

April 4, 2007. Baikonur launch site, S.P.Korolev RSC Energia branch office

In the LV Integration and Checkout Facility, the basic integration of the Soyuz-FG launch vehicle with the upper composite has been completed.

Click images for larger version

Source: S.P. Korolev RSC Energia - News

this woman continues to impress me on a daily basis.......B

nice staging pics waspi!

Expedition 14 Crew Interviews Set for Wednesday


Image above: Sunita Williams participates in Anomalous Long Term
Effects in Astronauts' Central Nervous System (ALTEA) operations in
the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station on March 8,
2007.
Image credit: NASA

Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Sunita Williams Wednesday are scheduled to participate in interviews with the Boston Globe and the New England Sports Network to discuss her upcoming Boston Marathon run. Williams will talk about her experiences training for the Boston Marathon which she will run onboard the space station. The interview is scheduled to take place at 2:20 p.m. EDT on NASA TV.

+ Watch NASA TV

Lopez-Alegria and Williams are to spend much of the day Wednesday with the Anomalous Long Term Effects in Astronauts' Central Nervous System (ALTEA) experiment. Williams is also scheduled to participate in a ham radio session with Glenden State School, Glenden, Queensland, Australia. A Periodic Fitness Evaluation is scheduled for Lopez-Alegria with Williams assisting when needed.

Space Station Astronaut to Run Marathon in Space

Flight Engineer Suni Williams will run in the Boston Marathon in April as an official entrant from 210 miles above Earth aboard the International Space Station. She will run the race on a station treadmill, circling Earth at least twice in the process, running as fast as eight miles per hour but flying more than five miles each second.

Williams, an accomplished marathoner, hopes her unique run will serve as an inspiration.

"I encourage kids to start making physical fitness part of their daily lives," Williams said. "I think a big goal like a marathon will help get this message out there."

Source: NASA - Space Station

April 4, 2007. Baikonur launch site, S.P.Korolev RSC Energia branch office

A Technical management meeting was held, chaired by President and Designer General of S.P. Korolev RSC Energia N.N. Sevastiyanov and the State Commission. It was decided to proceed with the roll-out to the launch pad of the launch vehicle carrying transportation spacecraft Soyuz TMA-10.

Click images for larger version

Source: S.P. Korolev RSC Energia - News

Expedition 14 Crew Conducts ALTEA Experiment


Image above: Sunita Williams participates in Anomalous Long Term
Effects in Astronauts' Central Nervous System (ALTEA) operations in
the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station on March 8,
2007.
Image credit: NASA

Lopez-Alegria and Williams are to spend much of the day Wednesday with the Anomalous Long Term Effects in Astronauts' Central Nervous System (ALTEA) experiment. Williams is also scheduled to participate in a ham radio session with Glenden State School, Glenden, Queensland, Australia. A Periodic Fitness Evaluation is scheduled for Lopez-Alegria with Williams assisting when needed..

Space Station Astronaut to Run Marathon in Space

Flight Engineer Suni Williams will run in the Boston Marathon in April as an official entrant from 210 miles above Earth aboard the International Space Station. She will run the race on a station treadmill, circling Earth at least twice in the process, running as fast as eight miles per hour but flying more than five miles each second.

Williams, an accomplished marathoner, hopes her unique run will serve as an inspiration.

"I encourage kids to start making physical fitness part of their daily lives," Williams said. "I think a big goal like a marathon will help get this message out there."

Source: NASA - Space Station

April 5, 2007. Baikonur launch site, S.P.Korolev RSC Energia branch office

At 5 hr 00 min Moscow time a rollout of the Soyuz spacecraft from the assembly-test facility to the launch site was provided. The Soyuz-FG launch vehicle with the Soyuz TMA-10 transport spacecraft was erected on the launch pad. Operations under the launch minus two days program began.
The launch of the Soyuz-FG integrated launch vehicle with the Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft to the ISS Orbital Complex is planned for 07.04.2007 at 21:31 Moscow time.

Click images for larger version

Source: S.P. Korolev RSC Energia - News

Crew Continues Station Science, Ready for Expedition 15


Image above: Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria inserts a test sample
into a freezer as part of the NUTRITION experiment.
Image credit: NASA

The Expedition 14 crew members continue science, maintenance and exercise activities as they prepare to greet their replacement crew – Expedition 15.

Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Suni Williams are pursuing final investigations with the NUTRITION experiment. They will take blood and urine samples, process them in a centrifuge and store them in a freezer. Williams is also exercising heavily for the upcoming Boston Marathon which she will run in space.

Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin continues his maintenance duties in the Russian segment of the International Space Station.

Expedition 15 launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome Saturday at 1:31 p.m. EDT. They will dock at the station Monday about 3:12 p.m. EDT in their Soyuz spacecraft.

Space Station Astronaut to Run Marathon in Space

Flight Engineer Suni Williams will run in the Boston Marathon in April as an official entrant from 210 miles above Earth aboard the International Space Station. She will run the race on a station treadmill, circling Earth at least twice in the process, running as fast as eight miles per hour but flying more than five miles each second.

Williams, an accomplished marathoner, hopes her unique run will serve as an inspiration.

"I encourage kids to start making physical fitness part of their daily lives," Williams said. "I think a big goal like a marathon will help get this message out there."

Source: NASA - Space Station

Crew Begins New Experiment, Awaits Expedition 15


Image above: Sunita Williams works with the Lab-on-a-Chip Application
Development-Portable Test System (LOCAD-PTS) experiment.
Image credit: NASA

The Expedition 14 crew continued science activities this week. Flight Engineer Sunita Williams kicked off a new experiment by testing a bacteria detection instrument developed by researchers at Marshall Spaceflight Center in Huntsville, Ala., and industry partners. The device, Lab-On-a-Chip Application Development-Portable Test System, or LOCAD-PTS, is a portable bacteria detection system. Four more sessions with LOCAD-PTS are planned for later Weekend Science Sessions.

Periodic fitness evaluations were conducted this week along with troubleshooting a video tape recorder and the faulty light of an ophthalmoscope that was used during a health check.

Expedition 15 launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome Saturday at 1:31 p.m. EDT. They will dock at the station Monday about 3:12 p.m. in their Soyuz spacecraft.

Space Station Astronaut to Run Marathon in Space

Flight Engineer Suni Williams will run in the Boston Marathon in April as an official entrant from 210 miles above Earth aboard the International Space Station. She will run the race on a station treadmill, circling Earth at least twice in the process, running as fast as eight miles per hour but flying more than five miles each second.

Williams, an accomplished marathoner, hopes her unique run will serve as an inspiration.

"I encourage kids to start making physical fitness part of their daily lives," Williams said. "I think a big goal like a marathon will help get this message out there."

Source: NASA - Space Station

April 6, 2007: "What a huge relief," says Norman Wainwright of the Charles River Laboratories in Charleston, SC. "The whole technical team was delighted that it worked so well."

see captionHe's talking about a miniature biological laboratory just tested for the first time onboard the International Space Station. Called LOCAD-PTS (short for Lab-On-a-Chip Application Development–Portable Test System), the mini-lab detects the presence of bacteria or fungi on the surfaces of a spacecraft far more rapidly than standard methods of culturing.


Above: LOCAD-PTS, a handheld biological
laboratory for space travel. [More]

"The ability to monitor microorganisms would be especially important on long space voyages, not only to check the health of astronauts but also to monitor electronics and structural materials, which can be corroded or otherwise damaged by certain fungi and bacteria," says Wainwright, the experiment's principal investigator. LOCAD-PTS is designed so that "astronauts can do the analysis onboard with no need to return samples to laboratories on Earth."

The device was launched last December 9th on board the space shuttle Discovery, and then stowed aboard ISS until its scheduled experiment time—which happened to be Saturday night, March 31, Marshall Space Flight Center time. (Remember that time!)

Astronaut Sunita "Suni" Williams opened the instrument kit bag, assembled LOCAD-PTS, and then took six readings. "The first two readings were controls to show that the instrument was operating correctly," explains Jake Maule, LOCAD-PTS project scientist at the Carnegie Institution of Washington. "First she swabbed her palm, which she had first pressed to handrails and other often-handled surfaces that should have had lots of bacteria—and indeed, we got a strong positive reading," he continues. "Then she sampled some ultraclean water in the instrument that is used to moisten samples, to check that the water was truly clean—and indeed, we got a great negative reading."

Above: The International Space Station. [Larger image]

Next, Williams chose a wall panel in ISS Node 1 to test using both LOCAD-PTS and, for comparison, a standard culturing method.

For the standard method, she pressed a layer of solid gel growth medium (rather like agar) to the panel for a few seconds, replaced it securely in its packaging, and then set it aside to incubate for a few days.

Then she took a dry swab, rather like a high-tech Q-tip, from LOCAD-PTS and rubbed it on the panel next to the same area. Flushing ultraclean water through the swab converted the sample to liquid form, and a few drops were dispensed into the hand-held LOCAD-PTS instrument.

"The cleaner the sample, the longer the analysis takes," Wainwright says. "Because this site was pretty clean, it took about 12 minutes, but dirty samples can take as little as a couple of minutes."

It was during the wait that Williams must have noted the time. Although it was 10:20 PM Central Daylight Time at Marshall in Huntsville, Alabama, where all the LOCAD-PTS scientists were anxiously watching television monitors, it was actually past midnight on April 1, Greenwich Mean Time, the time zone used by ISS.

"Suni said, 'Ah, this last set of readings for LOCAD-PTS looks a bit strange,'" Maule recalls. "After a pause of about five seconds, she exclaimed, 'Happy April Fools' Day! The numbers are just fine!'"

"She definitely got me!" he laughs.


Above: Researchers in the control room at MSFC
celebrate when they hear that LOCAD-PTS has
worked. From left to right: Dr. Lisa Monaco,
Tony Lyons, Dr. Jake Maule, Dan Gunter.
[Larger image]

Over the next few months, LOCAD-PTS and standard culture methods will be used to investigate different parts of ISS. "A second-generation of LOCAD-PTS cartridges for the specific detection of fungi are scheduled to launch to ISS on Space Shuttle STS-123," says Anthony T. Lyons, LOCAD-PTS project manager at Marshall, the NASA center that has overseen the project since its inception and supervised getting the equipment spaceflight-ready. "With each generation of cartridges, we are getting more and more specific in what we detect. Our ultimate aim is to provide the crew with a selection of cartridges for the detection of a wide variety of target compounds, biological and chemical both inside and outside the spacecraft—something that would be especially important for long-duration missions to the Moon or to Mars."

"Right now, we're very happy with the first tests."

Author: Trudy E. Bell | Production Editor: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit: Science@NASA

____________________________________________

More Information

For a fuller description of LOCAD-PTS and how it works, see "Crabs Give Blood for Space Travel" from Science@NASA.

NASA's Future: The Vision for Space Exploration

Source: Science@NASA

April 6, 2007. Baikonur launch site, S.P.Korolev RSC Energia branch office

A meeting of the State commission was held. Director of Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center V.V. Tsibliev reported about the crew readiness for the planned spaceflight. General Designer and Technical Manager of manned space complexes flight tests N.N. Sevastianov reported about readiness of the Soyuz FG/Soyuz TMA-10 rocket-space complex for further prelaunch processing. The State commission approved the prime and backup crews for the Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft and the ISS-15 and also a decision was adopted to continue preparation of the Soyuz-FG/Soyuz TMA-10 rocket-space complex for fueling and launch at the set time on April 7, 2007, namely at 21 hr. 31 min Moscow time.

The Prime Crew: spacecraft commander, ISS-15 commander – RF cosmonaut pilot, S.P. Korolev RSC Energia test cosmonaut Fyodor Nikolaevich Yurchikhin; spacecraft flight engineer, ISS-15 flight engineer – Gagarin CTC test cosmonaut, colonel of the Russian Federation Air Force Oleg Valeriavich Kotov, spaceflight participant of the ISS visiting crew, USA citizen, Charles Simonyi.

B spacecraft commander, ISS-15 commander – Gagarin CTC cosmonaut, lieutenant-colonel of the Russian Federation Air Force Roman Yurievich Romanenko; spacecraft flight engineer, ISS-15 flight engineer – S.P. Korolev RSC Energia test cosmonaut Mikhail Borisovich Kornienko.

Source: S.P. Korolev RSC Energia - News

April 7, 2007. Baikonur launch site, S.P.Korolev RSC Energia branch office

At 21:31:14 Moscow Time a launch vehicle Soyuz-FG with Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft was launched from the Baikonur launch site to the International Space Station.
The Increment 15 (ISS-15) crew and visiting crew 12 (VC-12) are on board the Russian transport manned vehicle. Soyuz TMA-10 is carrying a crew consisting of Russian cosmonauts Oleg Valeriavich Kotov (Gagarin CTC test cosmonaut) and Fyodor Nikolaevich Yurchikhin (S.P. Korolev RSC Energia test cosmonaut), as well as a spaceflight participant of the ISS visiting crew, USA citizen, Charles Simonyi. The objective of the launch is the scheduled replacement of two ISS-14 crewmembers and of the Soyuz TMA-9 spacecraft that has been serving within the space station as its crew rescue vehicle since September 20, 2006.

Source: S.P. Korolev RSC Energia - News

Expedition 15 Crew Launches


Image above: Expedition 15 crew launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome
in their Soyuz spacecraft.
Image credit: NASA

Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and cosmonaut Oleg Kotov of the 15th International Space Station crew launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 1:31 p.m. EDT Saturday to begin a six-month stay aboard.

With Yurchikhin and Kotov on their Soyuz TMA-10 is Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi, an American flying under contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency. He will return to Earth with Expedition 14, Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin, on April 20. Expedition 14 launched to the station last Sept. 18.

Expedition 15's spacecraft is scheduled to dock at the station a little after 3 p.m. Monday.

Space Station Astronaut to Run Marathon in Space

Flight Engineer Suni Williams will run in the Boston Marathon in April as an official entrant from 210 miles above Earth aboard the International Space Station. She will run the race on a station treadmill, circling Earth at least twice in the process, running as fast as eight miles per hour but flying more than five miles each second.

Williams, an accomplished marathoner, hopes her unique run will serve as an inspiration.

"I encourage kids to start making physical fitness part of their daily lives," Williams said. "I think a big goal like a marathon will help get this message out there."

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition 15 Crew Launches from Baikonur

Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and cosmonaut Oleg Kotov of the 15th International Space Station crew launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 1:31 p.m. EDT Saturday to begin a six-month stay aboard.


Image above: Expedition 15 crew launches from the Baikonur
Cosmodrome in their Soyuz spacecraft.
Image credit: NASA TV

Less than 10 minutes after launch their spacecraft reached orbit, and its antennas and solar arrays were deployed.

With Yurchikhin and Kotov on their Soyuz TMA-10 is Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi, an American flying under contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency. He will return to Earth with Expedition 14, Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin, on April 20. Expedition 14 launched to the station last Sept. 18.

Expedition 15's spacecraft is scheduled to dock at the station a little after 3 p.m. Monday.

They will be welcomed by the Expedition 14 crew, including astronaut Sunita Williams, who will become their third Expedition 15 crew member. She launched to the station aboard the STS-116 mission of Discovery on Dec. 9. She joined Expedition 14 in progress and will provide Expedition 15 with an experienced flight engineer for the early part of its increment.

Williams, 41, is a Naval Academy graduate and a Navy commander. She flew helicopters and was a helicopter test pilot before being selected as an astronaut in 1998.

Yurchikhin, 48, is making his second flight into space. He was a member of the STS-112 crew which launched to the station aboard Atlantis on Oct. 7, 2002, with the Starboard 1 Truss. He holds a Ph.D. in economics and was named a cosmonaut-candidate in 1997.

Kotov, 41, is making his first spaceflight. He graduated from the Moscow Medical Academy in 1988, and was named a cosmonaut-candidate in 1996.

Astronaut Clayton Anderson is scheduled to replace Williams as a flight engineer during Expedition 15. Anderson, 48, holds a master's degree in aerospace engineering from Iowa State University. He was selected as an astronaut in 1998 and will be making his first spaceflight.

Two Expedition 16 crew members are expected to arrive next fall to replace Yurchikhin and Kotov.

Source: NASA - Space Station - Expeditions

http://members.aol.com/nodin/TripPgs/KosMap.html

That is a truly terrible map.

The pad from which this mission was launched is LC-1, which is marked on this map as "Soyuz". It was also from this pad that the Vostok missions were launched, including Yuri Gagarin in Vostok 1 on 12^th April 1961. LC-31 (marked as "Vostok") can also be used to launch Soyuz rockets.

The Energia/Buran pads marked as "pad 1" & "pad 2" are actually LC 110 and LC 250 respectively. That complex was last used in 1988 for the one and only flight of Buran, the Russian space shuttle (it was an unmanned flight). These pads were originally built to launch the N1, which was the Soviet Union's attempt to build a rocket capable of landing a man on the Moon. This rocket exploded on all 4 unmanned test flights and was abandoned in the mid '70s

The larger of the two buildings shown next to LC 1 ("Soyuz" on the map) is building 112. This is where the Energia/Buran and N1 rockets were assembled. In 2002 the roof of the building collapsed killing 8 people and destroying the Buran space shuttle which made the test flight.

Images of the Soyuz TMA-10 launch.



Source: S.P. Korolev RSC Energia - News

Attired in Russian Sokol launch and entry suits, cosmonauts Fyodor N. Yurchikhin (right), Expedition 15 commander, and Oleg V. Kotov, flight engineer, both representing Russia's Federal Space Agency, take a break from training in Star City, Russia, to pose for an official portrait.

The Expedition 15 crew and spaceflight participant Charles Simonyi successfully launched aboard a Soyuz TMA-10 on April 7 and will dock with the International Space Station on Monday, April 9, 2007.

Image credit: Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center

+ Full Resolution (1.45 Mb)


Source: NASA - Multimedia - Image of the Day Gallery

its a classic!

NASA TV migraine to come......B

April 9, 2007. S.P. Korolev RSC Energia, Korolev, Moscow region.

The Russian Soyuz TMA-10 manned transport spacecraft docked to the International Space Station (ISS).
Following a two-day free flight in near-earth orbit Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft approached the ISS. Berthing was executed in an automatic mode.

Source: S.P. Korolev RSC Energia

Expedition 15 Arrives at Station


Image above: Expedition 15 and spaceflight participant Charles Simonyi
in their Soyuz spacecraft as it approaches the International Space Station.
Image credit: NASA TV

Expedition 15 arrived at the International Space Station at 3:10 p.m. EDT Monday. Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov and Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi docked in their Soyuz spacecraft two days after launching from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Simonyi, an American who is flying under contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency, will return home with Expedition 14 on April 20.

Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin have been living in space since Sept. 18. Flight Enigneer Sunita Williams, who rode Space Shuttle Discovery to the station in December, will stay onboard and join Expedition 15.

Space Station Astronaut to Run Marathon in Space

Flight Engineer Suni Williams will run in the Boston Marathon in April as an official entrant from 210 miles above Earth aboard the International Space Station. She will run the race on a station treadmill, circling Earth at least twice in the process, running as fast as eight miles per hour but flying more than five miles each second.

Williams, an accomplished marathoner, hopes her unique run will serve as an inspiration.

"I encourage kids to start making physical fitness part of their daily lives," Williams said. "I think a big goal like a marathon will help get this message out there."

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition 15 Arrives at Station


Image above: Cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin passes through the hatch
from the Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station.
Image credit: NASA TV

Expedition 15 arrived at the International Space Station at 3:10 p.m. EDT Monday. They greeted the Expedition 14 crew shortly after opening their hatches at 4:30 p.m. Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov and Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi docked in their Soyuz spacecraft two days after launching from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Simonyi, an American who is flying under contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency, will return home with Expedition 14 on April 20.

Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin have been living in space since Sept. 18. Flight Enigneer Sunita Williams, who rode Space Shuttle Discovery to the station in December, will stay onboard and join Expedition 15.

Space Station Astronaut to Run Marathon in Space

Flight Engineer Suni Williams will run in the Boston Marathon in April as an official entrant from 210 miles above Earth aboard the International Space Station. She will run the race on a station treadmill, circling Earth at least twice in the process, running as fast as eight miles per hour but flying more than five miles each second.

Williams, an accomplished marathoner, hopes her unique run will serve as an inspiration.

"I encourage kids to start making physical fitness part of their daily lives," Williams said. "I think a big goal like a marathon will help get this message out there."

Source: NASA - Space Station

The press release is reproduced below:

April 9, 2007

Michael Braukus
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1979

Lynnette Madison
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111

CONTRACT RELEASE: C07-18

NASA Extends Contract With Russia’s Federal Space Agency

WASHINGTON - NASA has signed a $719 million modification to the current International Space Station contract with Russia’s Federal Space Agency in Moscow for crew and cargo services through 2011.

The firm-fixed price extension covers crew rotations for 15 crew members, six in 2009, six in 2010 and three in 2011, delivery and the removal of 5.6 metric tons of cargo. U.S. Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) are still planned to provide the bulk of cargo transportation needs from 2010 and beyond to the space station.

With the modification, NASA also is purchasing the capability for the Russian Docking Cargo Module (DCM) to carry 1.4 metric tons of NASA cargo to the space station. That module is scheduled to fly in 2010. By adding the module, NASA will be able to fly outfitting hardware for the Russian Multipurpose Laboratory Module on the DCM, eliminating the need to fly a cargo carrier and some ballast on a shuttle flight. NASA is obligated to deliver the Russian outfitting hardware to the station under a 2006 addendum to the ISS Balance of Contributions Agreement between NASA and the Russian Federal Space Agency.

In addition, NASA is purchasing a flight opportunity to and from the space station that will meet an obligation to the International Partners. The flight will allow for an astronaut from the partners to spend approximately six months aboard the space station. That flight is planned for 2009.

Work in support of this contract is performed in Russia, Kazakhstan, on board the International Space Station, at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston and at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla. For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

- end -

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

Source: NASA Contract Release C07-18

Expedition 15 Crew Docks with Space Station

Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and cosmonaut Oleg Kotov of the 15th International Space Station crew docked with the orbiting laboratory at 3:10 p.m. EDT Monday to begin a six-month stay aboard.


Image above: Expedition 15 crew launches from the Baikonur
Cosmodrome in their Soyuz spacecraft.
Image credit: NASA TV

With them is Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi. He is an American flying under contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency.

He will return to Earth with Expedition 14 crew members, Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin, on April 20. Expedition 14 launched to the station last Sept. 18.

Expedition 15 crew members were welcomed by the Expedition 14 crew, including astronaut Sunita Williams, their third Expedition 15 crew member. She launched to the station aboard the STS-116 mission of Discovery on Dec. 9. She joined Expedition 14 in progress and will provide Expedition 15 with an experienced flight engineer for the early part of its increment.

Williams, 41, is a Naval Academy graduate and a Navy commander. She flew helicopters and was a helicopter test pilot before being selected as an astronaut in 1998.

Yurchikhin, 48, is making his second flight into space. He was a member of the STS-112 crew which launched to the station aboard Atlantis on Oct. 7, 2002, with the Starboard 1 Truss. He holds a Ph.D. in economics and was named a cosmonaut-candidate in 1997.

Kotov, 41, is making his first spaceflight. He graduated from the Moscow Medical Academy in 1988, and was named a cosmonaut-candidate in 1996.

Astronaut Clayton Anderson is scheduled to replace Williams as a flight engineer during Expedition 15. Anderson, 48, holds a master's degree in aerospace engineering from Iowa State University. He was selected as an astronaut in 1998 and will be making his first spaceflight.

Two Expedition 16 crew members are expected to arrive next fall to replace Yurchikhin and Kotov.

Source: NASA - Space Station - Expeditions

Station Crews Begin Handover


Image above: In the front row is Expedition 15 with Spaceflight
Participant Charles Simonyi (at right). In the back row is the outgoing
Expedition 14 crew. Flight Engineer Suni Williams will stay onboard
with Expedition 15.
Image credit: NASA TV

Expedition 15 arrived at the International Space Station at 3:12 p.m. EDT Monday. Both station crews have begun handover activities and are working together to complete standard tasks.

The Expedition 14 crew members continue their maintenance tasks and exercise activities. The three cosmonauts onboard the station – Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov and Expedition 14 Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin – will be working together as Expedition 14 hands over control of the station to Expedition 15.

Since the first station element, the Zarya cargo module, was launched, the International Space Station has orbited the Earth 48,000 times. This is the equivalent of traveling 1.26 billion miles or traveling to Mars and back 20 times.

Space Station Astronaut to Run Marathon in Space

Flight Engineer Suni Williams will run in the Boston Marathon in April as an official entrant from 210 miles above Earth aboard the International Space Station. She will run the race on a station treadmill, circling Earth at least twice in the process, running as fast as eight miles per hour but flying more than five miles each second.

Williams, an accomplished marathoner, hopes her unique run will serve as an inspiration.

"I encourage kids to start making physical fitness part of their daily lives," Williams said. "I think a big goal like a marathon will help get this message out there."

Source: NASA - Space Station

Station Crews Busy with Handover, Maintenance Tasks


Image above: In the front row is Expedition 15 with Spaceflight
Participant Charles Simonyi (at right). In the back row is the outgoing
Expedition 14 crew. Flight Engineer Suni Williams will stay onboard
with Expedition 15.
Image credit: NASA TV

Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov continue handover activities and are performing standard station maintenance tasks alongside Expedition 14. Suni Williams, now an Expedition 15 flight engineer, is helping familiarize her new crewmates with station systems.

Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi will return home April 20 with Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin. They will undock in a Soyuz TMA-9 spacecraft and land in the Kazakh steppes a few hours later.

Space Station Astronaut to Run Marathon in Space

Flight Engineer Suni Williams will run in the Boston Marathon in April as an official entrant from 210 miles above Earth aboard the International Space Station. She will run the race on a station treadmill, circling Earth at least twice in the process, running as fast as eight miles per hour but flying more than five miles each second.

Williams, an accomplished marathoner, hopes her unique run will serve as an inspiration.

"I encourage kids to start making physical fitness part of their daily lives," Williams said. "I think a big goal like a marathon will help get this message out there."

Source: NASA - Space Station

Crews Observe Space Anniversaries, Continue Handover


Image above: Expedition 15 approaches the station in a Soyuz TMA-10
spacecraft. Joining them for the ride was Spaceflight Participant Charles
Simonyi who will return home with Expedition 14.
Image credit: NASA TV

Both space station crews are observing April 12, an important space anniversary. On this day in 1961, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human launched into space. The space shuttle also launched for the first time on this day in 1981. Previous International Space Station cosmonauts sent their best wishes to all onboard the station from Moscow.

In addition to continuing their handover activities, the outgoing Expedition 14 crew members are resizing and checking their U.S. spacesuits and performing their daily exercise routine. The Expedition 15 crew is still familiarizing itself with station operations and procedures.

Space Station Astronaut to Run Marathon in Space

Flight Engineer Suni Williams will run in the Boston Marathon in April as an official entrant from 210 miles above Earth aboard the International Space Station. She will run the race on a station treadmill, circling Earth at least twice in the process, running as fast as eight miles per hour but flying more than five miles each second.

Williams, an accomplished marathoner, hopes her unique run will serve as an inspiration.

"I encourage kids to start making physical fitness part of their daily lives," Williams said. "I think a big goal like a marathon will help get this message out there."

Source: