Image above: The Progress 20 cargo spacecraft is pictured docked to the International Space Station's Russian Pirs docking compartment. The Progress 20 undocked to burn up over the Pacific Ocean on Monday, June 19. Credit: NASA

Expedition 13 ready for visiting spacecraft and new crewmember

Station Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams said goodbye to a Russian cargo spacecraft as it undocked from the International Space Station Monday morning.

A new cargo spacecraft, a Russian Progress 22, will launch from Kazakhstan Saturday morning at 11:08 EDT and dock to the station two days later.

NASA managers set July 1 as the official launch date for Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121. The shuttle will dock two days later with the station delivering a third crewmember for Expedition 13 – European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter, DF4TR.

Meanwhile, Vinogradov RV3BS and Williams KD5TVQ continue with science experiments and routine maintenance aboard their orbiting laboratory.

NASA astronauts Michael Lopez-Alegria and Sunita Williams and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin have been named as the 14th crew of the International Space Station. Expedition 14 is scheduled to begin this fall.

Three radio hams make-up 14th International Space Station crew

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