Space station crew doubles
Published 29 May, 2009, 17:03
On Friday, the Soyuz TMA-15 spacecraft has docked at the International Space Station. With its arrival the permanent crew of the ISS has doubled to six people.
In a symbolic gesture, members of all principal participants of the project will be on board the ISS for the first enlarged orbital mission. The crew, headed by Russian Gennady Padalka, includes fellow cosmonaut Roman Romanenko, as well as American Michael Barratt, Canadian Robert Thirsk, European Frank De Winne and Japanese Koichi Wakata.
As befitting the stronger space team, the scientific program of the new mission is complex and includes 42 experiments in biology, medicine, geophysics, astrophysics and other areas. Five of them are absolutely new.
They will receive two visiting Space Shuttles, three Progress freighters and the first-ever Japanese automated orbital cargo ship HTV1. The ISS will be enlarged on their shift with the new Russian scientific module.
Two spacewalks are scheduled during the double expedition 19\20, which will be the first field test for the new modification of the Russian Orlan spacesuits. They are equipped with a new digital monitoring system, which can give the operator real-time tips on procedures.
discuss it
