Mon, Dec 21, 2009
Two Day Ride Ahead For American, Russian, and
Japanese
NASA astronaut T.J. Creamer, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kotov and
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi safely
launched aboard a Soyuz TMA-17 spacecraft to the International
Space Station on Sunday. Less than 10 minutes after launch,
their spacecraft reached orbit and its antennas and solar arrays
were deployed. It will take two more days to reach
the station before docking.
Creamer, 50, a U.S. Army colonel from Upper Marlboro, Md., will
be making his first spaceflight. Kotov, 44, a physician and Russian
Air Force colonel, will be making his second spaceflight and
serving his second tour aboard the station. Noguchi, 44, an
aeronautical engineer from Chigasaki, Kanagawa, Japan, will be
making his second spaceflight.
Creamer, Kotov and Noguchi will complete the Expedition 22 crew
when they dock to the station on Dec. 22. They will join Jeff
Williams, a NASA astronaut and the station commander, and Max
Suraev, a Russian cosmonaut and station flight engineer, who have
been living aboard the orbiting laboratory since Oct. 2.
The station's five residents have some busy months ahead. Kotov
and Suraev will conduct a planned spacewalk in January from the
Pirs airlock, part of the station's Russian segment. Less than a
week later, Williams and Suraev will fly the Soyuz spacecraft that
brought them to the station from its current location on the end of
the outpost's Zvezda service module to the new Poisk module. In
February, the crew will welcome a Progress unmanned resupply ship
and space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 mission. Endeavour and its
crew will deliver the new Tranquility node and its cupola, one of
the last major portions of the station to be installed.
More News
Runway Lead-in Light System Runway Lead-in Light System Consists of one or more series of flashing lights installed at or near ground level that provides positive visual guidance a>[...]
Aero Linx: Aviation Without Borders Aviation Without Borders uses its aviation expertise, contacts and partnerships to enable support for children and their families – at hom>[...]
Dave Juwel's Aviation Marketing Stories ITBOA BNITBOB ... what does that mean? It's not gibberish, it's a lengthy acronym for "In The Business Of Aviation ... But Not In The Busine>[...]
From 2010 (YouTube Version): Yeah.... This IS A Really Cool Job When ANN's Nathan Cremisino took over the lead of our Aero-TV teams, he knew he was in for some extra work and a lot>[...]
Also: Junkers A50 Heritage, Montaer Grows, Dynon-Advance Flight Systems, Vans' Latest Officially, the Carbon Cub UL and Rotax 916 iS is now in its 'market survey development phase'>[...]