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| Image above: Simushir Island, Kuril
Archipelago, Russian Far East. Credit: NASA |
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Progress undocking sets stage for new station crew
Tuesday night’s undocking of a Progress 25 (P25) cargo craft at
8:37 p.m. EDT sets the stage for a Soyuz relocation and the arrival of
Expedition 16.
Progress 25 will continue to orbit a safe distance from the International
Space Station for a week after undocking. This will enable Russian engineers
to perform propulsion tests on the cargo craft before it finally deorbits
and burns up over the Pacific Ocean.
On Thursday, Sept. 27, the Expedition 15 crew will enter the Soyuz TMA-10
spacecraft, undock from the Zarya’s earth-facing port and relocate
to the Zvezda service module’s aft port. On Oct. 12, Expedition
16 will arrive at the International Space Station in a Soyuz TMA-11 for
a crew swap.
Arriving with Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson, KC5ZTD, and Flight
Engineer Yuri Malenchenko, RK3DUP, is Spaceflight Participant Sheikh Muszaphar
Shukor, 9W2MUS.
Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, RN3FI, and Flight Engineer
Oleg Kotov will leave several days later taking Shukor with them.
Flight Engineer Clay Anderson, KD5PLA, will stay aboard with Expedition
16. Flight Engineer Dan Tani, KD5DXE, will replace Anderson when Space
Shuttle Discovery arrives at the station on mission STS-120.
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