All Systems "GO"

The "i's" are dotted and the "t's" are crossed -- everything appears "go" for the launch of Expedition 9 to the International Space Station on April 18th.

"We are go for the crew exchange and go to continue flying the space station," said William Gerstenmaier, NASA ISS program manager.

Veteran cosmonaut Gennady Padalka and NASA astronaut Michael Fincke will replace Russia's Alexander Kaleri and America's Michael Foale during the 12-day hand-off. Kaleri and Foale have been aboard the space station since last October. Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers will ride up and back on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft, conducting experiments aboard the space station in the interim.

Water and other supplies are likely to pose a problem for Expedition 9. "Things are pretty tight from a consumables perspective, but we are used to them being tight," Gerstenmaier said. "This year hasn’t been easy for us flying." Not since the US space shuttle fleet was grounded more than a year ago in the wake of the Columbia disaster. The shuttles will probably remain grounded for the better part of another year, as NASA addresses safety concerns about the aging space planes.

Crew members aboard the ISS are also in short supply. Since the Columbia disaster, the crew has been downsized from three to two people in order to conserve those precious supplies. "This will be our third two-person crew aboard the space station," said Matt Abbott, Expedition 9 lead flight director. "We’ve really evolved into a mode of operation with these smaller crews."

Padalka and Fincke, a space rookie, are scheduled to conduct a pair of spacewalks during their tenure. Both EVA's -- on July 22nd and August 24 -- are dedicated to the installation of handrails on the station's exterior. They'll also work to make the station ready for the European Space Agency's ATV (Autonomous Transfer Vehicle), which should fly sometime next year.

FMI: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station