Image above: This computer visualization depicts the station configuration after the undocking of the Progress 19 cargo spacecraft. Image credit: NASA

Station crew prepare for Expedition 13 arrival

Expedition 12 Commander Bill McArthur, KC5ACR and Flight Engineer Valery Tokarev are preparing the International Space Station for Expedition 13 due to arrive March 31.

They will relocate their Soyuz spacecraft from one docking port to another Monday, March 20. The relocation makes way for the new crew's Soyuz, which will launch March 29. A solar eclipse will take place March 29 with the possibility that McArthur and Tokarev will be able to view the occurrence.

Mission Control Houston informed the station commander that the second Return to Flight mission, STS-121, has been delayed till no earlier than July 1.

Commander Pavel Vinogradov RV3BS and Flight Engineer Jeffrey Williams KD5TVQ have been named to Expedition 13.

Their Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft is scheduled to launch on March 29 and dock to the station on March 31.

Latest news stories..

• Get our news headlines for your website • Submit your news story