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| Image above: Space Shuttle Atlantis astronauts spread
a second set of wings for the International Space Station. Credit:
NASA |
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Expedition 14 to launch Sunday as International Space Station grows in
size
Preparations are continuing at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan
for the launch of the Expedition 14 crew.
Ham radio pair Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria, KE5GTK, and Flight Engineer
Mikhail Tyurin, RZ3FT, 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 two of the current amateur radio members of Expedition
13 - Commander Pavel Vinogradov, RV3BS and NASA Science Officer Jeff Williams,
KD5TVQ, who are wrapping up a six-month stay on the station. European
Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter, DF4TR, 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.
Related links:
Three
radio hams make-up 14th International Space Station crew
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