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Soyuz arrives at International Space Station
The Soyuz TMA-6 spacecraft carrying European Space Agency astronaut Roberto
Vittori on the ENEIDE mission and the two members of the ISS Expedition
11 crew docked with the International Space Station (ISS) today at the
Russian docking compartment Pirs at [04:20] Central European summer time
(CEST). Following the scheduled post-docking checks, the hatch between
the spacecraft and the ISS was opened at [07:12] CEST.
Soyuz TMA-6 lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan two
days ago on Flight 10S. During the journey, Vittori, an Italian, was the
Soyuz Flight Engineer, taking an active role alongside the Soyuz Commander,
Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev, in piloting and docking the spacecraft.
Krikalev was a member of the very first ISS expedition crew in 2000/2001,
and will be the ISS Expedition 11 Commander. The third crewmember, NASA
astronaut John L. Phillips, will be the ISS Expedition 11 Flight Engineer.
Vittori is the first European astronaut to fly to the ISS for a second
time, having made his first flight on the Marco Polo mission in 2002.
During his 8-day stay on the ISS, he will carry out an extensive experiment
programme in the fields of human physiology, biology, technology and education.
One of his first tasks will be to transfer experiment equipment and samples
from Soyuz TMA-6 to the ISS. Other experiment equipment for the mission
was transported to the ISS on the unmanned Progress M-52 supply ship,
launched on 28 February.
The ENEIDE mission is being co-sponsored by the Italian Ministry of Defence
and the region of Lazio in the framework of an agreement between ESA and
the Russian federal space agency, Roscosmos. Many of the experiments were
developed by Italian researchers and built by Italian industry and research
institutions. In addition to the experimental programme of the ENEIDE
mission, time has been set aside for Vittori to take part in communication
activities and emergency ISS training on his first day on the station.
His programme of scientific experiments, technology demonstrations and
educational activities will continue throughout the mission, which concludes
when he returns with the ISS Expedition 10 crew, Leroy Chiao and Salizhan
Sharipov, with a scheduled landing in Kazakhstan at midnight (Central
European Time) on 24/25 April. They will return in Soyuz TMA-5, which
has been stationed at the ISS with the Expedition 10 crew for the past
six months, serving as an emergency lifeboat. Vittori will play an important
role in the reentry, descent and landing on the return flight in Soyuz
TMA-5, which flew the Expedition 10 crew to the ISS last October. Soyuz
TMA-6 will remain docked with the ISS for the next six months, becoming
the lifeboat for the ISS Expedition 11 crew.
Information on the ENEIDE mission and its progress can be obtained from
www.esa.int/eneide
and www.spaceflight.esa.int/eneide/status
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