nasa iss expedition 25-26 press kit

8/6/2019 NASA ISS Expedition 25-26 Press Kit

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National Aeronautics and Space Administration

PRESS KIT/OCTOBER 2010

Expedition 25 and 26

A New Decade Begins

www.nasa.gov


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OCTOBER 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS i

Section Page

MI S S I ON OVE R VI E W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1 E X PE D I T ION 25 / 26 C R E W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3E X PE D I TI ON 25 / 26 S PA C E W A L KS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

A UT OMA T E D T R A N S FE R VE H I C L E -2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

H - I I T R A N S FER VE H I C L E OVE R VI E W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 3

R US S I A N S OY UZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 3 9 S O Y U Z B O O S T E R R O C K E T C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 4P R E L A U N C H C O U N T D O W N T I M E L I N E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 6 A S C E N T / I N S E R T I O N T I M E L I N E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 6O R B I T A L I N S E R T I O N T O D O C K I N G T I M E L I N E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 7K E Y T I M E S FO R E X P E D I T I O N 2 5 L A U N C H E V E N T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2S O Y U Z L A N D I N G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 3 K E Y T I M E S FO R E X P E D I T I O N 2 5 L A N D I N G E V E N T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 6

E X PE D I TI ON 25 / 26 S C I E N C E OVE R VI E W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 7R E S E A R C H E X P E R I M E N T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 2

D I G I T A L N A S A T E L E VI SI ON A N D MUL T I ME D IA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 7E X PE D I TI ON 25 / 26 PUB L I C A FFA I R S OFFI C E R S ( PA O) C ON T A C T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 9

TABLE OF CONTENTS


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ii TABLE OF CONTENTS OCTOBER 2010

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OCTOBER 2010 MISSION OVERVIEW 1

Mission Overview

Expeditions 25 and 26

The International Space Station is featured in this image photographed by an STS-132crew member on space shuttle Atlantis after the station and shuttle began their

post-undocking relative separation on May 23, 2010.

A second decade of human life, work andresearch on the International Space Stationwill begin while the Expedition 25 and 26crews are in action aboard the orbitinglaboratory.

The first station expedition crew Commander Bill Shepherd and FlightEngineers Sergei Krikalev and Yuri

Gidzenko took up residence on thestation on Nov. 2, 2000, following anOct. 31 launch from the BaikonurCosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Since then,more than 200 explorers have visited theorbiting complex, 15 countries havecontributed support, modules and in-orbithardware, and more than 600 experimentshave been conducted.


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2 MISSION OVERVIEW OCTOBER 2010

NASA astronauts Doug Wheelock, Expedition 25 commander, andShannon Walker, Expedition 25 flight engineer, participate in a

training session in the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility atNASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston.


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A third American and two additionalRussians will launch aboard a new and

improved version of the Soyuz spacecraftfrom the same Baikonur launch pad onOct. 7 and join the stations Expedition 25trio, which has been in orbit since June.

The Expedition 25 and 26 crews, comprisedof nine residents over a span ofeight months, will continue microgravityexperiments in human research, biologyand biotechnology, physical and materialssciences, technology development,and Earth and space sciences. Theyalso will accept delivery of the newestexternal instrument, the Alpha MagneticSpectrometer, designed to plumbfundamental issues related to the origin andstructure of our universe.

The Expedition 25 and 26 crews will workwith some 115 experiments involvingapproximately 380 researchers across avariety of fields, including human lifesciences, physical sciences and Earth

observation, and conduct technologydemonstrations ranging from recycling torobotics. Seventy-two of these experimentswill be sponsored by U.S. investigators,including 18 under the auspices of theU.S. National Laboratory program, and43 sponsored by international partnerinvestigators. More than 680 hours ofresearch are planned. As with priorexpeditions, many experiments aredesigned to gather information about the

effects of long-duration spaceflight onthe human body, which will help usunderstand complicated processes such as

immune systems while planning for futureexploration missions.

Technology demonstrations will includework with the first human-like robot ever tobe tested in the microgravity environment,and the resumption of work with a recyclingdevice known as Sabatier, designed to helpwring additional water from excesshydrogen not yet being reclaimed by thestations water recovery system.

With the help of two visiting space shuttlecrews during STS-133 and STS-134, they

will continue outfitting the latest additionsto the nearly completed outpost; acceptdelivery of one of the last pressurizedmodules, a converted pressurized cargocarrier named Leonardo; welcome at leastthree cargo resupply missions; and conductthree spacewalks to fine-tune the Russiansegment of the station.

NASA astronaut Doug Wheelockaccepted command of Expedition 25 on

Sept. 22, taking over for RussiasAlexander Skvortsov, who landed withNASA astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson andRussian Flight Engineer Mikhail Kornienkoaboard the Soyuz TMA-18 spacecraftSept. 25 in Kazakhstan.

Wheelock, who remained on the stationconducting microgravity research withfellow NASA astronaut Shannon Walkerand Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin,

will be joined by NASAs Scott Kelly andRussians Alexander Kaleri and OlegSkripochka. Once they are united, theywill constitute the full Expedition 25 crew.


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At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, alongwith Russian cosmonauts Alexander Kaleri and Oleg Skripochka (left to right), allExpedition 25 flight engineers, take a moment to pose for pictures in front of their

Soyuz TMA-01M spacecraft during a training and Soyuz inspection exerciseSept. 26, 2010. Photo credit: NASA/Victor Zelentsov


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Russian cosmonauts Alexander Kaleri (center) and Oleg Skripochka, bothExpedition 25/26 flight engineers, participate in space station habitability

equipment and procedures training session in the Space VehicleMock-up Facility at NASAs Johnson Space Center.

Kelly, Kaleri and Skripochka arescheduled to remain on the station

through March 2011. Kelly will becomeExpedition 26 commander when Wheelock,Walker and Yurchikhin return to Earthaboard their Soyuz TMA-19 spacecraft,which is scheduled for Nov. 29.

Kelly, Kaleri and Skripochka are scheduledto launch aboard an updatedSoyuz spacecraft designated TMA-01M at7:10 p.m. EDT Oct. 7 from the BaikonourCosmodrome in Kazakhstan. This will bethe first Soyuz to launch with newer, more

powerful and lighter computer systems.The improved avionics, which have beentested on seven uncrewed Progressresupply vehicles already, also reduce theweight of the spacecraft by about150 pounds (70 kilograms). PreviousSoyuz vehicles have flown with the updated

set of display panels, but this is the firstflight that feeds those displays with the

updated avionics computer systems. Afterspending two days catching up to thestation, they will dock to the Poisk dockingmodule on the zenith, or space-facing, portof the Zvezda service module at 8:01 p.m.Oct. 9. After completing leak checks,equalizing pressures and opening hatches,they will join Wheelock, Walker andYurchikhin and become the fifth six-personcrew of the station.

In the fall, one of the stations new

commercial resupply rockets, built bySpace Exploration Technologies Corp.(SpaceX), is set to make its firstdemonstration flight. The station crew willnot be involved in the mission, but it willmark an important milestone in providingadditional supply lines for the station.


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The next vehicle to meet up with the stationwill be Progress 40, which is scheduled to

launch Oct. 27 from Baikonur. The cargovehicle is scheduled to dock and deliver its2.5 tons of fuel, oxygen, water and suppliesOct. 29.

The STS-133 mission of space shuttleDiscovery, also known as Utilization andLogistics Flight 5, is set to launch Nov. 1from Kennedy Space Center, Fla., carryingthe converted pressurized cargo carrierLeonardo. Now a Permanent MultipurposeModule (PMM), Leonardo will be berthed tothe Earth-facing port of the stations Unitymodule, providing additional storage forstation crews and room for additionalexperiments to be conducted. The ItalianSpace Agency contracted with ThalesAlenia Space, the European company thatoriginally built the module, to make themodifications.

Inside the PMM will be Robonaut 2, or R2,the first human-like robot in space. R2 will

become a permanent resident of thestation, allowing scientists and engineers tostudy how its systems and controls functionin near-zero gravity.

Discovery also will carry critical spareparts and the ExPRESS Logistics Carrier 4(ELC4) to the station. The ExPRESS,which stands for Expedite the Processing of

Experiments to the Space Station, platformwill anchor those spare parts in the shuttles

payload bay, and be installed to a PayloadAttach System on the Earth-facingstarboard side of the stations truss.

Two six-hour spacewalks are plannedduring the joint shuttle/station mission. Thefirst is to install a contingency powerextension cable between the Unity andTranquility modules and to move a failedammonia pump module that was replacedby Wheelock and Caldwell Dyson overthe course of three Expedition 24spacewalks. The second will be dedicatedto removing insulation from a stowageplatform, swapping out a bracket onthe Columbus module, installing a cameraon the robotic Dexterous ManipulatorSystem and installing an education payloadthat contains messages from Japanesestudents.

Yurchikhin and Skripochka are scheduledto conduct a spacewalk, the 26th

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) usingRussian Orlan-M spacesuits for spacestation assembly and maintenance. OnRussian EVA 26, the duo will install aportable multipurpose workstation on theZvezda module, remove three Russianscience instruments and install handrailextensions to aid future spacewalkers.


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The Soyuz TMA-19 spacecraft docks to the Rassvet Mini-Research Module 1June 28, 2010. Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, along with NASA astronauts

Doug Wheelock and Shannon Walker, undocked their Soyuz spacecraft from theZvezda Service Modules aft port and docked it to its new location on the Rassvet

module 25 minutes later.

Wheelock, Walker and Yurchikhin arescheduled to depart the station inlate November. Wheelock will hand overleadership to Kelly, the Expedition 26

commander, and then the trio will undocktheir Soyuz from the Rassvet module onNov. 29. Landing in Kazakhstan isscheduled for 8:28 p.m. on Nov. 29.

The Expedition 26 trio will remain in orbitalone for about two weeks before thearrival of their crewmates, NASAs

Cady Coleman, the Russian SpaceAgencys Dmitry Kondratyev and theEuropean Space Agencys Polo Nspolion Dec. 15 aboard their Soyuz TMA-20

spacecraft.

The Expedition 26 crew will pack theProgress 39 cargo ship full of trash inadvance of its scheduled undocking fromthe station on Dec. 20, followed bya destructive entry into Earths atmosphere.They will do the same for Progress 40


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ESA astronaut Polo Nspoli (left foreground) and NASA astronaut Cady Coleman,both Expedition 26/27 flight engineers; along with Russian cosmonaut

Dmitry Kondratyev (second left), Expedition 26 flight engineer and Expedition 27commander, participate in a Robonaut familiarization training session in the

Space Environment Simulation Laboratory at NASAs Johnson Space Center.

for its departure Jan. 24, 2011. Thatdeparture will make room for the

Progress 41 ship, which is scheduled tolaunch from Baikonur on Jan. 28, and dockwith the orbiting outpost on Jan. 30,delivering another 2.5 tons of supplies.

On Russian EVA 27 in January, Skripochkaand Kondratyev are to set up and connectrendezvous telemetry equipment, remove

and reinstall a video camera from the activeto the passive side of the Rassvet

modules docking assembly, and remove apassive materials sample experimentcassette, and remove from the Zvezdatransfer compartment cone an antennaused for the European SpaceAgencys (ESA) Automated TransferVehicles (ATV).


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They are scheduled to conduct the thirdspacewalk of the Expedition 25 and 26

missions in February to install a radioantenna, deploy a nano satellite, install twoexperiments and retrieve two exposurepanels on a third experiment.

ESAs ATV-2, named Johannes Keplerafter the German astronomer andmathematician, is scheduled to launch fromKourou, Guiana, carrying six tons of food,clothing, propellants, water and oxygenFeb. 15, 2011.

In the spring of 2011, the STS-134 missionof Endeavour, also known as Utilization andLogistics Flight 6, will deliver the AlphaMagnetic Spectrometer (AMS) and mountthe instrument to the stations trussstructure where it will use the powergenerated by the stations solar arrays tosupport observations of cosmic rays.Looking at various types of unusual matterfound in the universe will allow AMSresearchers to study the formation of the

universe and search for evidence of darkmatter and antimatter. In addition, STS-134will deliver ExPRESS Logistics Carrier 3(ELC-3), which will hold a variety of spareparts. The STS-134 mission will includethree spacewalks to lubricate the port solaralpha rotary joints that allow the arrays totrack the sun as they generate electricity,install ammonia jumper hoses for thestations cooling system, stow the orbiterboom sensor system outside the station for

future use as an inspection tool, andretrieve a set of materials exposureexperiments for return to Earth.

Astronaut Mark Kelly is commander ofSTS-134 mission, and as such, he and twin

brother Scott Kelly will become the firstsiblings to ever fly in space together. If thelaunch schedule holds, the pair will beworking together in orbit for eight daysbefore the shuttle undocks and returns toEarth.

Also scheduled for launch and dockingduring Expedition 25 and 26 is theJapan Aerospace Exploration AgencysH-II Transfer Vehicle, or HTV-2. Unlike theATV, which docks automatically to the aftport of the Zvezda module, the HTV willrendezvous to within a few meters of thespace station and then be grappled by thestations Canadarm2 and berthed to theHarmony modules Earth-facing commonberthing mechanism port. It, too, is capableof delivering up to six tons of suppliesincluding food and clothes. The Japaneseresupply vehicle also can deliver externalcomponents and research instruments tothe station in its unpressurized cargo area.

The six-person Expedition 26 crew willspend approximately three months togetherbefore Kelly hands over command of thestation to Kondratyev. Kelly, Kaleri andSkripochka will then undock their SoyuzTMA-01M spacecraft and head for alanding in Kazakhstan in mid-March.


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Pictured clockwise from the left, Russian cosmonauts Oleg Skripochka andAlexander Kaleri, both Expedition 25/26 flight engineers; Russian cosmonaut

Dmitry Kondratyev, Expedition 26 flight engineer and Expedition 27 commander;NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, Expedition 25 flight engineer and Expedition 26

commander; NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, STS-134 commander; ESA astronautPolo Nspoli and NASA astronaut Cady Coleman, both Expedition 26/27 flightengineers, participate in an emergency scenarios training session in the Space

Vehicle Mock-up Facility at NASAs Johnson Space Center.


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At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Soyuz crews pose for a picture in front ofa Soyuz booster rocket in its integration building June 11, 2010. From left to right are

prime crew members Doug Wheelock, Soyuz commander Fyodor Yurchikhin andShannon Walker before their launch to the station, with backup crew members

Cady Coleman, Dmitry Kondratyev and Polo Nspoli of the ESA.Photo credit: NASA/Victor Zelentsov


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OCTOBER 2010 CREW 13

Expedition 25/26 Crew

Expedition 25

Expedition 25 Patch

The mission patch design for the 25thExpedition to the International SpaceStation pays tribute to the rich history ofinnovation and bold engineering in thequest for knowledge, exploration anddiscovery in space. The patch highlightsthe symbolic passing of the torch to thespace station, as the vehicle that will carryus into the future of space exploration. TheSpace Shuttle Program emblem is thefoundation of the patch and forms theGreek letter Alpha with a new dawnbreaking at the center, symbolizing a newvision for space exploration. The Alphasymbol is overlaid by the Greek letter

Omega, paying tribute to the culminationof the Space Shuttle Program. The missiondesignation 25 is shown centered at thebottom of the patch, symbolizing the pointin time when the space shuttle, theworkhorse of the station assembly process,will make its final visit to the ISS. Betweenthe 25 and the Earth crescent, the orbiteris shown returning to Earth on its final

journey, during the Expedition 25 mission.Above Earth and the breaking dawn, thestation takes center-stage, completed andfully equipped to carry us beyond this newdawn to new voyages and discoveries. Theorbit connecting the station and Earth is


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14 CREW OCTOBER 2009

Expedition 25 crew members take a break from training at NASAs Johnson SpaceCenter to pose for a crew portrait. Pictured at center right is NASA astronaut

Doug Wheelock, commander. Also pictured (from the left) are Russian cosmonautsOleg Skripochka and Alexander Kaleri; NASA astronauts Scott Kelly and

Shannon Walker along with Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, all flight engineers.

drawn in the colors of the United States andRussian flags; paying tribute to the blended

heritage of the crew. The two largest starsin the field represent the arrival anddeparture of the crews in separate RussianSoyuz vehicles. The six stars in the fieldrepresent the six crew members. The

International Space Station abbreviationISS and MKC in English and Russian,

respectively flank the mission numberdesignation, and the names of the crewmembers in their native languages borderthe ISS symbol.


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Expedition 26


Expedition 26 Patch

In the foreground of the patch, theInternational Space Station is prominentlydisplayed to acknowledge the efforts of theentire International Space Station team both the crews who have built and operatedit, and the team of scientists, engineers,and support personnel on Earth whohave provided a foundation for eachsuccessful mission. Their efforts andaccomplishments have demonstrated the

space stations capabilities as a technologytest bed and a science laboratory, as wellas a path to the human exploration ofour solar system and beyond. Thespace station is shown with ESAs ATV-2,the Johannes Kepler, docked to resupply itwith experiments, food, water, and fuel for

Expedition 26 and beyond. This Expedition26 patch represents the teamwork amongthe international partners USA, Russia,Japan, Canada and ESA and the ongoingcommitment from each partner to build,improve, and use the station. Prominentlydisplayed in the background is our homeplanet, Earth the focus of much of ourexploration and research on our outpost inspace. The two stars symbolize two Soyuz

spacecraft, each one carrying a three-member crew, who for four months willwork and live together aboard the station asExpedition 26. The patch shows the crewmembers names, and its framed with theflags of their countries of origin UnitedStates, Russia, and Italy.


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Russian cosmonaut Dmitry Kondratyev (center), Expedition 26 flight engineer andExpedition 27 commander; along wi th NASA astronaut Cady Coleman and

ESA astronaut Polo Nspoli , both Expedition 26/27 flight engineers, pose for aportrait following an Expedition 26/27 preflight press conference at NASAs Johnson

Space Center. Kondratyev, Coleman and Nspoli are scheduled to launch to theInternational Space Station aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in December 2010.

Short biographical sketches of the crewfollow with detailed background availableat:

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/


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Expedition 25


Doug Wheelock

Wheelock, 50, a colonel in the U.S. Army,was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1998.He served numerous roles in the Astronaut

Office before his first spaceflight. In 2007,Wheelock served as a mission specialist onthe crew of STS-120 where he logged362 hours in space, including 20 hours and41 minutes during three spacewalks.

Wheelock is currently midway through hislong-duration mission on the space station.

He launched on a Russian Soyuzspacecraft on June 15, 2010, and joined theExpedition 24 crew as a flight engineer.

With the transition to Expedition 25,Wheelock became commander of thespace station, and its six-personinternational crew. He will serve in thisrole until the change-of-command beforehis planned departure in November 2010.


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Shannon Walker

Houstons first and only native astronaut,Shannon Walker, 44, is midway through herfirst spaceflight mission. Like Wheelock,she arrived as a flight engineer as part of

Expedition 24 and will return to Earth withhim in November.

In 1995, Walker joined the NASA civilservice at Johnson Space Center workingwith the space station international partnersin the design and construction of therobotics hardware for the space station.

Four years later she moved to Moscowto work with the Russian Federal SpaceAgency, Roscosmos, in the areas ofavionics integration and integrated problem

solving for the station. After a year inRussia, she returned to Johnson SpaceCenter and became the technical lead forthe space station Mission Evaluation Roomand the deputy manager of the On-OrbitEngineering Office before being selected asan astronaut in 2004.


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Fyodor Yurchikhin

Fyodor Yurchikhin, 51, flight engineer onExpeditions 24 and 25, is on his third

mission. He flew as a mission specialist onSTS-112 in 2002, accruing more than10 days of spaceflight experience. Hissecond spaceflight was in 2007, when hespent nearly 200 days as Expedition 15commander and Soyuz TMA flightengineer. He performed three spacewalkswhich lasted 18 hours 44 minutes.

Before becoming a cosmonaut, Yurchikhinworked at the Russian Space Corporation

Energia. He began working as a controllerin the Russian Mission Control Center andheld the positions of engineer, seniorengineer, and lead engineer, eventuallybecoming a lead engineer for Shuttle-Mirand NASA-Mir programs.


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Expedition 26


Scott Kelly

A captain in the U.S. Navy, Scott Kelly, 36,

will be embarking on the third mission of hisNASA career. Previously, Kelly served as apilot on STS-103 in 1999, and commanderof STS-118 in 2007. Combined, he hasaccured more than 20 days in space.

Kelly and his crewmates will launch tothe space station on Oct. 7 and dock

two days later, to join the Expedition 25

crew already onboard. When Wheelock,Walker and Yurchikin depart in November,Kelly will transition to become commanderof Expedition 26 aboard the spacestation. He and his Soyuz crewmates arescheduled to return to Earth in March 2011.


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Alexander Kaleri

A veteran of four missions, AlexanderKaleri, 54, has logged 610 days in spaceand more than 23 hours in five spacewalks.His first three spaceflights were to the Mirspace station the first in 1992, the secondin 1996 and the last in 2000. Most recently,he served as a flight engineer onExpedition 8 aboard the International SpaceStation in 2003 to 2004.

Kaleri began his career with EnergiaRocket/Space Corporation (RSC). Heparticipated in developing design/technicaldocumentation and full-scale tests of theMir orbital station before being selected asand Energia RSC cosmonaut candidate inApril 1984. Kaleri will serve as the Soyuzcommander for launch and landing andflight engineer for Expedition 25 and 26.


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Oleg Skripochka

This will be the first spaceflight mission forOleg Skripochka, 40. He began his careeras a test-metal worker at Energia RSC andthen went on to serve as a technician. Aftergraduating from Bauman Moscow StateTechnical University, he worked as an

engineer at Energia RSC project bureau onthe development of transport and cargovehicles.

Skripochka will serve as flight engineer forthe Soyuz launch and landing and thein-orbit crew of Expedition 25 and 26.


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Cady Coleman

This will be the third spaceflight mission forNASA astronaut Cady Coleman, 49, aretired U.S. Air Force colonel. Coleman andher crewmates will launch to the spacestation on Dec. 13, 2010. She will serve asa flight engineer for both Expedition 26 andExpedition 27.

Coleman has logged more than 500 hoursin space. She was a mission specialiston STS-73 in 1995 and STS-93 in 1999,a mission which deployed the ChandraX-Ray Observatory. She also served asthe backup U.S. crew member forExpeditions 19, 20 and 21.


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Dmitry Kondratyev

Dmitry Kondratyev, 41, will serve as theSoyuz commander for the December Soyuzlaunch and landing in May. He will join theExpedition 26 crew as a flight engineer andthen transition to Expedition 27 as the crewcommander.

Kondratyev was selected as atest-cosmonaut candidate of the Gagarin

Cosmonaut Training Center CosmonautOffice in December of 1997. He trained asa backup crew member for Expedition 5and Expedition 20. He also served asthe Russian Space Agency director ofoperations stationed at the Johnson SpaceCenter from May 2006 through April 2007.


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Polo Nspoli

ESA astronaut Polo Nspoli, 53, will serveas a flight engineer for Expedition 26 and27, his second spaceflight mission.

Nspoli was selected as an astronaut bythe Italian space agency in July 1998 andone month later, joined ESAs European

astronaut corps. He flew as a missionspecialist on STS-120 in October 2007.During the mission, which delivered theItalian-built Node 2 Harmony to the spacestation, Nspoli accumulated more than15 days of spaceflight experience.


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OCTOBER 2010 SPACEWALKS 27

Expedition 25/26 Spacewalks

Cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin conducts a spacewalk June 6, 2007, while commander ofExpedition 15 aboard the International Space Station. Among other tasks, Yurchikhin

and cosmonaut Oleg Kotov completed the ins tallation of 12 more Zvezda ServiceModule debris panels and installed sample containers on the Pirs Docking

Compartment for a Russian experiment.

There are no U.S.-based spacewalkscurrently scheduled for Expedition 25 or 26.However, Flight Engineers FyodorYurchikhin and Oleg Skripochka will donRussian Orlan spacesuits for the stations26th Russian spacewalk, and Skripochkawill be joined by Dimitry Kondratyev for the

27th and 28th Russian spacewalks.Yurchikhin has 25 hours and 27 minutes ofspacewalk experience from the threespacewalks he performed on Expedition 15and one on Expedition 24. Skripochka andKondratyev will perform their firstspacewalks.


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28 SPACEWALKS OCTOBER 2010

The spacewalks are scheduled to lastsix hours. The tasks and dates are still

being finalized, but spacewalks 26, 27 and28 are planned to occur in mid-November,mid-January and February, respectively.

The focus of the first spacewalk Russianspacewalk 26 is planned to be theremoval of scientific experiments: theKontur experiment, which studied remoteobject control capability for robotic armsand the Expose-R experiment, a EuropeanSpace Agency experiment designed toexpose organic material to the extremeenvironment of space.

During the first spacewalk, Yurchikhin andSkripochka will also install a portablemultipurpose workstation on the Zvezdaand install handrail extensions betweenthe Poisk Mini Research Module 2 and bothZvezda and Zarya modules. They willbe performing an experiment called Test,which is aimed at verifying the existenceof micro organisms or contamination

underneath insulation on the Russiansegment of the station.

The second spacewalk Russianspacewalk 27 is planned to focus on therelocation of a video camera on theRassvet Mini Research Module 1, fromthe active side of its docking assemblyto the passive. Theyll also remove oneexperiment, install two and performanother.

The experiment Skripochka and Kondratyevare to remove is a container that measures

contamination and monitors changes insamples of materials from the outsidesurfaces of the stations Russian segment.Those that theyll be installing include anonboard laser communication terminal thatuses laser technology for high-speed datatransmission, and a Biorisk experiment thatlooks at the effects of microbial bacteriaand fungus on structural materials used inspacecraft construction.

While outside, they will remove an antennafrom the Zvezda modules transfercompartment cone.

Projected tasks for Skripochka andKondratyev on Russian Spacewalk 28 areto install a radio antenna, deploy a nanosatellite, install two experiments andretrieve two exposure panels on a thirdexperiment.

The experiments they will install are

the Molniya-Gamma experiment, whichmeasures gamma splashes and opticalradiation during terrestrial lightning andthunder conditions, and a high-speed datatransmission system experiment that usesradio technology. The exposure panelsthey will retrieve are part of the Komplastexperiment.


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OCTOBER 2010 ATV-2 29

AUTOMATED TRANSFER VEHICLE-2

Second Round for the European SpaceFreighter

The concept of a space tug or transfervehicle for moving astronauts andequipment to different Earth orbits has beenenvisaged for decades by different spaceagencies. So far, this role has been fulfilledby the American launch vehicle and theRussian craft Progress-M. When the spaceshuttle retires, the Automated TransferVehicle (ATV)-2 will be the largest andheaviest vehicle supplying the spacestation.

Named Johannes Kepler after the Germanastronomer and mathematician, ATV-2provides Europe with an independentcapability to transport equipment to thestation. Johannes Kepler is the heir of thesuccessful ATV Jules Verne, whichdelivered 4.5 tons of cargo to the space

station. The ATV average cargo mass willbe even higher from now on.

In this second round for the ATV, JohannesKepler will deliver almost 7.7 tons of cargo.Delivering propellant is instrumental torestock the stations reserves, so that4.4 tons of propellant in different forms willbe launched as the ATV main payload.

Inside, it is configured to carry storage

tanks for refuelling propellant for the spacestations own propulsion system and air forthe crew. The crafts fuel is connected tothe space stations own plumbing system,

allowing astronauts to release oxygen andnitrogen directly into the living volume of thestation.

ATV serves as a cargo carrier, storagefacility and as a tug vehicle to adjuststations orbit. The versatile spacecraft isEuropes main contribution to the operationof the station, dependent on regulardeliveries of propellants and experimentalequipment, as well as food, air and waterfor the astronauts.

What makes Johannes Kepler dif ferent?

It is the most powerful spacecraft of itskind.

It has the largest refuelling capability,with about three times the payload of itsRussian counterpart, the Progress-Mcargo vehicle.

It is a multifunctional spaceship,combining the fully automaticcapabilities of an unpiloted vehicle withhuman spacecraft safety requirements.

It has a high level of autonomy, allowingit to navigate on its own. Docking withthe station is fully automatic.

It is capable of giving orbital boosts to

the station.


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30 ATV-2 OCTOBER 2010

Having a look at the spacecraft

The ATV is about the size of atraditional London double-decker bus.

Propulsion Module. It has four mainengines and 20 smaller thrusters forattitude control.

Docking and refuelling system. Thenose contains the rendezvous sensorsand Russian-made docking equipment.It also has eight thrusters tocomplement the propulsion system.

Integrated Cargo Carrier. Attachesdirectly to the space station and can

store up to eight standard payloadracks.

Foursolar arrays. Provide electricalpower to rechargeable batteries foreclipse periods. ATV can fully operatewith the 4800W generated by its solarwings, equivalent to the electricity usedby a typical water heater at home.

Protection Panels. Protect againstmicrometeoroid and orbital debris

ATV-2


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OCTOBER 2010 ATV-2 31

Cargo Payload

4.4 tons of propellant (reboost andattitude control propellant)

1,896 pounds of refuelling propellant forthe stations propulsion system

220 pounds of air (oxygen and nitrogen)

1.76 tons of dry supplies like bags,drawers and fresh food

Total: 7 tons

Measurements

Largest diameter: 14.7 feetLength (probe retracted): 32.13 feet

Total vehicle mass: 28,843 pounds

Solar arrays span: 73.16 feet


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32 ATV-2 OCTOBER 2010



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OCTOBER 2010 H-II TRANSFER VEHICLE 33

H-II TRANSFER VEHICLE OVERVIEW

The H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV), developedby Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency(JAXA) in Japan, is an unmanned cargotransfer spacecraft that will deliver goodsand resupplies to the International SpaceStation (ISS).

The HTV is launched from theTanegashima Space Center aboard anH-IIB launch vehicle with up to 6,000 kg ofsupplies. When the HTV approaches closeto the ISS, the Space Station RemoteManipulator System (SSRMS), known asCanadarm2, will grapple the HTV andberth it to the ISS. After the supplies, suchas food, clothes and a variety of experimentequipment, are unloaded, the HTV will thenbe loaded with waste materials, including

used experiment equipment or usedclothes. The HTV will then undock andseparate from the ISS and reenter theatmosphere. While the HTV is berthed tothe ISS, the ISS crew will be able to enterand remove the supplies from the HTVPressurized Logistics Carrier.

Russias cargo spacecraft, Progress, theAutomated Transfer Vehicle (ATV),developed and built by the European SpaceAgency (ESA), and Japans HTV areutilized for delivering supplies to the ISS.Among these cargo-carrying spacecraft,the HTV is the only unmanned vehiclethat can carry both pressurized andunpressurized cargo. This is a uniquespecial feature of the HTV.


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34 H-II TRANSFER VEHICLE OCTOBER 2010

Credit: JAXA

The HTV Technical DemonstrationVehicle (initial flight vehicle) has beensuccessfully launched on Sept. 11, 2009(JST), from Tanegashima Space Center inJapan. Subsequently, one or two HTVs peryear are planned for launch.

HTV Specifications

HTV is four meters across and about10 meters long, same size as a sightseeingbus. It consists primarily of three parts: (1)A propulsion module installed at the rearand composed of main engines for orbitchange, Reaction Control System (RCS)thrusters for position and attitude control,fuel and oxidizing reagent tanks, and high-pressure air tanks; (2) An avionics moduleinstalled in the center part, with electronic

equipment for guidance control, powersupply, and telecommunications dataprocessing; and (3) A logistics carrier thatstores supplies.


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HTV specifications

Item Specification

Length Approx. 10 m (including thrusters)

Diameter Approx. 4.4 m

Total Mass Approx. 10,500 kg

Cargo capacity (supplies and equipment) Approx. 6,000 kg Pressurized cargo: Approx. 4,500 kg Unpressurized cargo: Approx. 1,500 kg

Cargo capacity (waste) Approx. 6,000 kg

Target orbit to ISS Altitude: 350 km to 460 km

Inclination: 51.6 degreesMaximum duration of a mission Solo flight: Approx. 100 hours

Stand-by (on orbit): More than a weekBerthed with the station: Maximum 30 days


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Multi-purpose Small Payload Rack(MSPR)

HTV2 Miss ion

The target launch date is January 2011.(Detailed launch date is in process ofauthorization by GOJ)

1. Major cargo items

(a) Pressurized carrier

Two (2) payload racks and CargoTransfer Bags (CTB) of food,commodity, water, experiment

equipment will be transferred.

Cargo Transfer Bag (CTB)


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Gradient Heating Furnace (GHF)

(b) Unpressurized carrier

Two (2) NASAs external cargoitems will be transferred.

Cargo Transpor t Container (CTC)


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OCTOBER 2010 RUSSIAN SOYUZ TMA 39

Russian Soyuz

The Soyuz-TMA spacecraft is designed toserve as the International Space Stations crewreturn vehicle, acting as a lifeboat in the unlikelyevent an emergency would require the crew toleave the station. A new Soyuz capsule isnormally delivered to the station by a Soyuzcrew every six months, replacing an olderSoyuz capsule already docked to the spacestation.

The Soyuz spacecraft is launched to the spacestation from the Baikonur Cosmodrome inKazakhstan aboard a Soyuz rocket. It consistsof an orbital module, a descent module and aninstrumentation/propulsion module.

Orbital Module

This portion of the Soyuz spacecraft is used by

the crew while in orbit during free flight. It has avolume of 230 cubic feet, with a dockingmechanism, hatch and rendezvous antennaslocated at the front end. The dockingmechanism is used to dock with the spacestation and the hatch allows entry into thestation. The rendezvous antennae are used by

the automated docking system a radar-basedsystem to maneuver towards the station fordocking. There is also a window in the module.

The opposite end of the orbital moduleconnects to the descent module via apressurized hatch. Before returning to Earth,the orbital module separates from the descentmodule after the deorbit maneuver andburns up upon re-entry into the atmosphere.

Descent Module

The descent module is where the cosmonautsand astronauts sit for launch, re-entry andlanding. All the necessary controls anddisplays of the Soyuz are located here. Themodule also contains life support supplies andbatteries used during descent, as well as the

primary and backup parachutes and landingrockets. It also contains custom-fitted seatliners for each crew members couch/seat,which are individually molded to fit eachpersons body this ensures a tight,comfortable fit when the module lands on theEarth.


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40 RUSSIAN SOYUZ TMA OCTOBER 2010

The module has a periscope, which allows thecrew to view the docking target on the stationor Earth below. The eight hydrogen peroxide

thrusters on the module are used to control thespacecraft's orientation, or attitude, during thedescent until parachute deployment. It alsohas a guidance, navigation and control systemto maneuver the vehicle during the descentphase of the mission.

This module weighs 6,393 pounds, with ahabitable volume of 141 cubic feet.Approximately 110 pounds of payload can bereturned to Earth in this module and up to331 pounds if only two crew members are

present. The descent module is the onlyportion of the Soyuz that survives the return toEarth.

Instrumentation/Propulsion Module

This module contains three compartments:intermediate, instrumentation and propulsion.

The intermediate compartment is where themodule connects to the descent module. It alsocontains oxygen storage tanks and the

attitude control thrusters, as well as electronics,communications and control equipment. Theprimary guidance, navigation, control andcomputer systems of the Soyuz are in theinstrumentation compartment, which is a sealedcontainer filled with circulating nitrogen gas tocool the avionics equipment. The propulsioncompartment contains the primary thermalcontrol system and the Soyuz radiator, whichhas a cooling area of 86 square feet. Thepropulsion system, batteries, solar arrays,radiator and structural connection to the Soyuz

launch rocket are located in this compartment.

The propulsion compartment contains thesystem that is used to perform any maneuverswhile in orbit, including rendezvous and dockingwith the space station and the deorbit burnsnecessary to return to Earth. The propellantsare nitrogen tetroxide and unsymmetric-dimethylhydrazine. The main propulsion

system and the smaller reaction control system,used for attitude changes while in space, sharethe same propellant tanks.

The two Soyuz solar arrays are attached toeither side of the rear section of theinstrumentation/propulsion module and arelinked to rechargeable batteries. Like theorbital module, the intermediate section of theinstrumentation/propulsion module separatesfrom the descent module after the final deorbitmaneuver and burns up in the atmosphereupon re-entry.

TMA Improvements and Testing

The Soyuz TMA-01M spacecraft is the firstto incorporate both newer, more powerfulcomputer avionics systems and new digitaldisplays for use by the crew. The newcomputer systems will allow the Soyuzcomputers to interface with the onboardcomputers in the Russian segment of thestation once docking is complete.

Both Soyuz TMA-15, which launched to thestation in May 2009, and Soyuz TMA-18, which

launched in April 2010, incorporated the newdigital Neptune display panels, and sevenProgress resupply vehicles have used the newavionics computer systems. The SoyuzTMA-01M vehicle integrates those systems.The majority of updated components arehoused in the Soyuz instrumentation module.

For launch, the new avionics systems reducethe weight of the spacecraft by approximately150 pounds, which allows a small increase incargo-carrying capacity. Soyuz spacecraft are

capable of carrying a limited amount of suppliesfor the crews use. This will increase theweight of supplies the spacecraft is capable ofcarrying, but will not provide any additionalvolume for bulky items.

Once Soyuz is docked to the station, the newdigital data communications system will simplifylife for the crew. Previous versions of the


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spacecraft, including both the Soyuz TM, whichwas used from 1986 to 2002, and the SoyuzTMA in use since 2002, required Mission

Control, Moscow, to turn on the Soyuzcomputer systems periodically so that a partialset of parameters on the health of the vehiclecould be downlinked for review. In addition,in the case of an emergency undocking anddeorbit, crew members were required tomanually input undocking and deorbit dataparameters. The new system will eliminate theneed for the crew to perform these checks anddata updates, with the necessary data beingautomatically transferred from the space stationto the Soyuz.

The updates required some structuralmodifications to the Soyuz, including theinstallation of cold plates and an improvedthermal system pump capable of rejecting theadditional heat generated by the new computersystems.

The majority of Soyuz TMA systems remainunchanged. In use since 2002, the TMAincreased safety, especially in descent andlanding. It has smaller and more efficient

computers and improved displays. In addition,the Soyuz TMA accommodates individuals aslarge as 6 feet, 3 inches tall and 209 pounds,compared to 6 feet and 187 pounds in theearlier TM. Minimum crew member size for theTMA is 4 feet, 11 inches and 110 pounds,compared to 5 feet, 4 inches and 123 poundsfor the TM.

Two new engines reduced landing speedand forces felt by crew members by 15 to30 percent, and a new entry control system

and three-axis accelerometer increase landingaccuracy. Instrumentation improvementsincluded a color glass cockpit, which is easierto use and gives the crew more information,with hand controllers that can be secured underan instrument panel. All the new componentsin the Soyuz TMA can spend up to one year inspace.

New components and the entire TMA wererigorously tested on the ground, in hangar-droptests, in airdrop tests and in space before

the spacecraft was declared flight-ready. Forexample, the accelerometer and associatedsoftware, as well as modified boosters(incorporated to cope with the TMAs additionalmass), were tested on flights of Progress, theunpiloted supply spacecraft, while the newcooling system was tested on two Soyuz TMflights.

Descent module structural modifications,seats and seat shock absorbers were testedin hangar drop tests. Landing system

modifications, including associated softwareupgrades, were tested in a series of air droptests. Additionally, extensive tests of systemsand components were conducted on theground.


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Soyuz Launcher

A Soyuz TMA spacecraft launches from theBaikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan onOct. 12, 2008 carrying a new crew to the

International Space Station.Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Throughout history, more than 1,500 launcheshave been made with Soyuz launchers toorbit satellites for telecommunications, Earth

observation, weather, and scientific missions,as well as for human space flights.

The basic Soyuz vehicle is considered athree-stage launcher in Russian terms and iscomposed of the following:

A lower portion consisting of four boosters(first stage) and a central core (secondstage).

An upper portion, consisting of the thirdstage, payload adapter and payload fairing.

Liquid oxygen and kerosene are used aspropellants in all three Soyuz stages.

First Stage Boosters

The first stages four boosters are assembledlaterally around the second stage central core.The boosters are identical and cylindrical-conicin shape with the oxygen tank in thecone-shaped portion and the kerosene tank inthe cylindrical portion.

An NPO Energomash RD 107 engine with fourmain chambers and two gimbaled vernierthrusters is used in each booster. The vernierthrusters provide three-axis flight control.

Ignition of the first stage boosters and thesecond stage central core occur simultaneouslyon the ground. When the boosters havecompleted their powered flight during ascent,they are separated and the core second stagecontinues to function.

First stage booster separation occurs when thepredefined velocity is reached, which is about118 seconds after liftoff.


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Second Stage

An NPO Energomash RD 108 engine powers

the Soyuz second stage. This engine differsfrom those of the boosters by the presence offour vernier thrusters, which are necessary forthree-axis flight control of the launcher after thefirst stage boosters have separated.

An equipment bay located atop the secondstage operates during the entire flight of the firstand second stages.

Third Stage

The third stage is linked to the Soyuzsecond stage by a latticework structure. Whenthe second stages powered flight is complete,the third stage engine is ignited. Separation ofthe two stages occurs by the direct ignitionforces of the third stage engine.

A single-turbopump RD 0110 engine from KBKhA powers the Soyuz third stage.

The third stage engine is fired for about240 seconds, and cutoff occurs when the

calculated velocity increment is reached. Aftercutoff and separation, the third stage performsan avoidance maneuver by opening anoutgassing valve in the liquid oxygen tank.

Launcher Telemetry Tracking & FlightSafety Systems

Soyuz launcher tracking and telemetry isprovided through systems in the second andthird stages. These two stages have theirown radar transponders for ground tracking.Individual telemetry transmitters are in eachstage. Launcher health status is downlinked toground stations along the flight path. Telemetryand tracking data are transmitted to the missioncontrol center, where the incoming data flow isrecorded. Partial real-time data processingand plotting is performed for flight following

an initial performance assessment. All flightdata is analyzed and documented within a fewhours after launch.

Baikonur Cosmodrome LaunchOperations

Soyuz missions use the BaikonurCosmodromes proven infrastructure, andlaunches are performed by trained personnelwith extensive operational experience.

Baikonur Cosmodrome is in the Republicof Kazakhstan in Central Asia between45 degrees and 46 degrees North latitude and

63 degrees East longitude. Two launch padsare dedicated to Soyuz missions.

Final Launch Preparations

The assembled launch vehicle is moved to thelaunch pad on a horizontal railcar. Transfer tothe launch zone occurs two days before launch,during which the vehicle is erected and alaunch rehearsal is performed that includesactivation of all electrical and mechanicalequipment.

On launch day, the vehicle is loaded withpropellant and the final countdown sequence isstarted at three hours before the liftoff time.

Rendezvous to Docking

A Soyuz spacecraft generally takes two daysafter launch to reach the space station. Therendezvous and docking are both automated,though once the spacecraft is within 492 feetof the station, the Russian Mission ControlCenter just outside Moscow monitors theapproach and docking. The Soyuz crew hasthe capability to manually intervene or executethese operations.


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Soyuz Booster Rocket Characteristics

First Stage Data - Blocks B, V, G, DEngine RD-107

Propellants LOX/Kerosene

Thrust (tons) 102

Burn time (sec) 122

Specific impulse 314

Length (meters) 19.8

Diameter (meters) 2.68

Dry mass (tons) 3.45

Propellant mass (tons) 39.63

Second Stage Data - Block AEngine RD-108


Thrust (tons) 96

Burn time (sec) 314


Length (meters) 28.75


Dry mass (tons) 6.51


Third Stage Data - Block IEngine RD-461


Thrust (tons) 30

Burn time (sec) 240


Length (meters) 8.1


Dry mass (tons) 2.4


PAYLOAD MASS (tons) 6.8SHROUD MASS (tons) 4.5

LAUNCH MASS (tons) 309.53

TOTAL LENGTH (meters) 49.3


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Prelaunch Countdown Timeline

T- 34 Hours Booster is prepared for fuel loadingT- 6:00:00 Batteries are installed in booster

T- 5:30:00 State commission gives go to take launch vehicle

T- 5:15:00 Crew arrives at site 254

T- 5:00:00 Tanking begins

T- 4:20:00 Spacesuit donning

T- 4:00:00 Booster is loaded with liquid oxygen

T- 3:40:00 Crew meets delegations

T- 3:10:00 Reports to the State commission

T- 3:05:00 Transfer to the launch pad

T- 3:00:00 Vehicle 1st and 2nd stage oxidizer fueling complete

T- 2:35:00 Crew arrives at launch vehicle

T- 2:30:00 Crew ingress through orbital module side hatch

T- 2:00:00 Crew in re-entry vehicle

T- 1:45:00 Re-entry vehicle hardware tested; suits are ventilated

T- 1:30:00 Launch command monitoring and supply unit prepared

Orbital compartment hatch tested for sealing

T- 1:00:00 Launch vehicle control system prepared for use; gyro instrumentsactivated

T - :45:00 Launch pad service structure halves are lowered

T- :40:00 Re-entry vehicle hardware testing complete; leak checks performed onsuits

T- :30:00 Emergency escape system armed; launch command supply unitactivated

T- :25:00 Service towers withdrawn

T- :15:00 Suit leak tests complete; crew engages personal escape hardware automode

T- :10:00 Launch gyro instruments uncaged; crew activates onboard recorders

T- 7:00 All prelaunch operations are complete

T- 6:15 Key to launch command given at the launch site

Automatic program of final launch operations is activated

T- 6:00 All launch complex and vehicle systems ready for launch

T- 5:00 Onboard systems switched to onboard control

Ground measurement system activated by RUN 1 command

Commander's controls activated

Crew switches to suit air by closing helmets

Launch key inserted in launch bunker

T- 3:15 Combustion chambers of side and central engine pods purged withnitrogen


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Prelaunch Countdown Timeline (concluded)


T- 2:30 Booster propellant tank pressurization startsOnboard measurement system activated by RUN 2 command

Prelaunch pressurization of all tanks with nitrogen begins

T- 2:15 Oxidizer and fuel drain and safety valves of launch vehicle are closed

Ground filling of oxidizer and nitrogen to the launch vehicle is terminated

T- 1:00 Vehicle on internal power

Automatic sequencer on

First umbilical tower separates from booster

T- :40 Ground power supply umbilical to third stage is disconnected

T- :20 Launch command given at the launch position

Central and side pod engines are turned on

T- :15 Second umbilical tower separates from booster

T- :10 Engine turbopumps at flight speed

T- :05 First stage engines at maximum thrust

T- :00 Fueling tower separates

Lift off

Ascent/Insertion Timeline

T- :00 Lift off

T+ 1:10 Booster velocity is 1,640 ft/secT+ 1:58 Stage 1 (strap-on boosters) separation

T+ 2:00 Booster velocity is 4,921 ft/sec

T+ 2:40 Escape tower and launch shroud jettison

T+ 4:58 Core booster separates at 105.65 statute miles

Third stage ignites

T+ 7:30 Velocity is 19,685 ft/sec

T+ 9:00 Third stage cut-off

Soyuz separates

Antennas and solar panels deploy

Flight control switches to Mission Control, Korolev


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Orbital Insertion to Docking Timeline

FLIGHT DAY 1 OVERVIEW

Orbit 1 Post insertion: Deployment of solar panels, antennas and dockingprobe

- Crew monitors all deployments

- Crew reports on pressurization of OMS/RCS and ECLSS systemsand crew health. Entry thermal sensors are manually deactivated

- Ground provides initial orbital insertion data from tracking

Orbit 2 Systems Checkout: IR Att Sensors, Kurs , Angular Accels, Display TV Downlink System, OMS engine contro l system,Manual Atti tude Control Test

- Crew monitors all systems tests and confirms onboard indications

- Crew performs manual RHC stick inputs for attitude control test

- Ingress into HM, activate HM CO2 scrubber and doff Sokols

- A/G, R/T and Recorded TLM and Display TV downlink

- Radar and radio transponder tracking

Manual maneuver to +Y to Sun and in itiate a 2 deg/sec yawrotation. MCS is deactivated after rate is established

Orbit 3 Terminate +Y solar rotation, reactivate MCS and establish LVLHattitude reference (auto maneuver sequence)

- Crew monitors LVLH attitude reference build up

- Burn data command upload for DV1 and DV2 (attitude, TIGDelta Vs)

- Form 14 preburn emergency deorbit pad read up- A/G, R/T and Recorded TLM and Display TV downlink


Auto maneuver to DV1 burn attitude (TIG - 8 minutes) whi le LOS

- Crew monitor only, no manual action nominally required

DV1 phasing burn whi le LOS


Orbit 4 Auto maneuver to DV2 burn attitude (TIG - 8 minutes) while LOS


DV2 phasing burn whi le LOS



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FLIGHT DAY 1 OVERVIEW (CONTINUED)

Orbit 4

(continued)

Crew report on burn performance upon AOS

- HM and DM pressure checks read down- Post burn Form 23 (AOS/LOS pad), Form 14 and Globe corrections

voiced up




External boresight TV camera ops check (while LOS)

Meal

Orbit 5 Last pass on Russian tracking range for Flight Day 1

Report on TV camera test and crew health

Sokol suit clean up- A/G, R/T and Recorded TLM and Display TV downlink


Orbit 6-12 Crew Sleep, off of Russian tracking range

- Emergency VHF2 comm available through NASA VHF Network


Orbit 13 Post sleep activity, report on HM/DM Pressures

Form 14 revisions voiced up



Orbit 14 Configuration of RHC-2/THC-2 work station in the HM- A/G, R/T and Recorded TLM and Display TV downlink


Orbit 15 THC-2 (HM) manual contro l test



Orbit 16 Lunch



Orbit 17 (1) Terminate +Y solar rotation , reactivate MCS and establish LVLHattitude reference (auto maneuver sequence)

RHC-2 (HM) Test- Burn data uplink (TIG, attitude, delta V)



Auto maneuver to burn attitude (TIG - 8 min) while LOS

Rendezvous burn while LOS



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FLIGHT DAY 2 OVERVIEW (CONTINUED)

Orbit 18 (2) Post burn and manual maneuver to +Y Sun report when AOS

- HM/DM pressures read down- Post burn Form 23, Form 14 and Form 2 (Globe correction) voiced

up



Orbit 19 (3) CO2 scrubber cartridge change out

Free time



Orbit 20 (4) Free time


- Radar and radio transponder trackingOrbit 21 (5) Last pass on Russian tracking range for Flight Day 2

Free time



Orbit 22 (6) - 27(11)

Crew sleep, off of Russian tracking range

- Emergency VHF2 comm available through NASA VHF Network


Orbit 28 (12) Post sleep activity


- Radar and radio transponder trackingOrbit 29 (13) Free time, report on HM/DM pressures

- Read up of predicted post burn Form 23 and Form 14



Orbit 30 (14) Free time, read up of Form 2 Globe Correction, lunch

- Uplink of auto rendezvous command timeline



FLIGHT DAY 3 AUTO RENDEZVOUS SEQUENCE

Orbit 31 (15) Don Sokol spacesuits , ing ress DM, close DM/HM hatch

- Active and passive vehicle state vector uplinks


- Radio transponder tracking


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FLIGHT DAY 3 AUTO RENDEZVOUS SEQUENCE (CONCLUDED)


Orbit 32 (16) Terminate +Y solar rotation , reactivate MCS and establi sh LVLH

attitude reference (auto maneuver sequence)Begin auto rendezvous sequence

- Crew monitoring of LVLH reference build and auto rendezvoustimeline execution



FLIGHT DAY 3 FINAL APPROACH AND DOCKING

Orbit 33 (1) Auto Rendezvous sequence continues, flyaround and stationkeeping

- Crew monitor

- Comm relays via SM through Altair established

- Form 23 and Form 14 updates

- Fly around and station keeping initiated near end of orbit

- A/G (gnd stations and Altair), R/T TLM (gnd stations), Display TVdownlink (gnd stations and Altair)


Orbit 34 (2) Final Approach and dock ing

- Capture to docking sequence complete 20 minutes, typically

- Monitor docking interface pressure seal

- Transfer to HM, doff Sokol suits

- A/G (gnd stations and Altair), R/T TLM (gnd stations), Display TVdownlink (gnd stations and Altair)


FLIGHT DAY 3 STATION INGRESS

Orbit 35 (3) Station/Soyuz pressure equalization

- Report all pressures

- Open transfer hatch, ingress station

- A/G, R/T and playback telemetry



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Typical Soyuz Ground Track


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Key Times for Expedition 25 Launch Events

SOYUZ TMA-01M/24S (Kaleri, Skr ipochka, S. Kelly)

Launch:

6:10:55 p.m. CDT on Thursday, Oct. 7

23:10:55 GMT on Thursday, Oct. 7

3:10:55 a.m. Moscow time on Friday, Oct. 8

5:10:55 a.m. Baikonur time on Friday, Oct. 8 (2:44 before sunrise)

Docking (to Poisk):

7:02 p.m. CDT on Saturday, Oct. 9

00:02 GMT on Sunday, Oct. 10

4:02 a.m. Moscow time on Sunday, Oct. 10.

Hatch Opening:

10:00 p.m. CDT on Saturday, Oct. 9

3:00 GMT on Sunday, Oct. 10

7:00 a.m. Moscow time on Sunday, Oct. 10.


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Soyuz Landing

The Soyuz TMA-18 spacecraft i s seen as it lands wi th Expedit ion 24commander Alexander Skvortsov and flight engineers Tracy Caldwell Dyson

and Mikhail Kornienko near the town of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan on Sept. 25, 2010.Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

After about six months in space, the departingcrew members from the International SpaceStation will board their Soyuz spacecraftcapsule for undocking and a one-hour descentback to Earth.

About three hours before undocking, the crewwill bid farewell to the other three crewmembers who will remain on the stationawaiting the launch of a new trio ofastronauts and cosmonauts from the BaikonurCosmodrome in Kazakhstan about 17 dayslater.


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The departing crew will climb into its Soyuzvehicle and close the hatch between Soyuz andits docking port. The Soyuz commander will be

seated in the center seat of the Soyuz descentmodule, flanked by his two crewmates.

After activating Soyuz systems and gettingapproval from flight controllers at the RussianMission Control Center outside Moscow, theSoyuz commander will send commands to openhooks and latches between Soyuz and thedocking port.

He will then fire the Soyuz thrusters to backaway from the docking port. Six minutes after

undocking, with the Soyuz about 66 feet awayfrom the station, the Soyuz commander willconduct a separation maneuver, firing theSoyuz jets for about 15 seconds to begin todepart the vicinity of the complex.

About 2.5 hours after undocking, at a distanceof about 12 miles from the station, Soyuzcomputers will initiate a deorbit burn brakingmaneuver. The 4.5-minute maneuver to slowthe spacecraft will enable it to drop out of orbitand begin its re-entry to Earth.

About 30 minutes later, just above the firsttraces of the Earths atmosphere, computerswill command the pyrotechnic separation of thethree modules of the Soyuz vehicle. With thecrew strapped in the centermost descentmodule, the uppermost orbital module,containing the docking mechanism andrendezvous antennas, and the lowerinstrumentation and propulsion module at therear, which houses the engines and avionics,will separate and burn up in the atmosphere.

The descent modules computers will orient thecapsule with its ablative heat shield pointingforward to repel the buildup of heat as itplunges into the atmosphere. The crew will feelthe first effects of gravity about three minutesafter module separation at the point calledentry interface, when the module is about400,000 feet above the Earth.

About eight minutes later, at an altitude of about33,000 feet, traveling at about 722 feet persecond, the Soyuz will begin a computer-

commanded sequence for the deployment ofthe capsules parachutes. First, two pilotparachutes will be deployed, extracting a largerdrogue parachute, which stretches out over anarea of 79 square feet. Within 16 seconds,the Soyuz descent will slow to about 262 feetper second.

The initiation of the parachute deployment willcreate a gentle spin for the Soyuz as it danglesunderneath the drogue chute, assisting in thecapsules stability in the final minutes before

touchdown.

A few minutes before touchdown, the droguechute will be jettisoned, allowing the mainparachute to be deployed. Connected to thedescent module by two harnesses, the mainparachute covers an area of about 3,281 feet.The deployment of the main parachute slowsthe descent module to a velocity of about23 feet per second. Initially, the descentmodule will hang underneath the mainparachute at a 30-degree angle with respect to

the horizon for aerodynamic stability. Thebottommost harness will be severed a fewminutes before landing, allowing the descentmodule to right itself to a vertical positionthrough touchdown.

At an altitude of a little more than 16,000 feet,the crew will monitor the jettison of the descentmodules heat shield, which will be followed bythe termination of the aerodynamic spin cycleand the dissipation of any residual propellantfrom the Soyuz. Also, computers will arm the

modules seat shock absorbers in preparationfor landing.

When the capsules heat shield is jettisoned,the Soyuz altimeter is exposed to the surface ofthe Earth. Signals are bounced to the groundfrom the Soyuz and reflected back, providingthe capsules computers updated informationon altitude and rate of descent.


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At an altitude of about 39 feet, cockpit displayswill tell the commander to prepare for the softlanding engine firing. Just 3 feet above the

surface, and just seconds before touchdown,the six solid propellant engines will be fired in afinal braking maneuver. This will enable theSoyuz to settle down to a velocity of about fivefeet per second and land, completing itsmission.

As always is the case, teams of Russianengineers, flight surgeons and technicians infleets of MI-8 helicopters will be poised near thenormal and ballistic landing zones, andmidway in between, to enact the swift recovery

of the crew once the capsule touches down.

A portable medical tent will be set up near thecapsule in which the crew can change out of itslaunch and entry suits. Russian technicians will

open the modules hatch and begin to removethe crew members. The crew will be seated inspecial reclining chairs near the capsule forinitial medical tests and to begin readapting toEarths gravity.

About two hours after landing, the crew will beassisted to the recovery helicopters for a flightback to a staging site in northern Kazakhstan,where local officials will welcome them. Thecrew will then return to Chkalovsky Airfieldadjacent to the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training

Center in Star City, Russia, or to Ellington Fieldin Houston where their families can meet them.


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Key Times for Expedition 25 Landing Events

SOYUZ TMA-19/23S (Yurchikhin, Wheelock, Walker)

Hatch Closure:

12:45 p.m. CST on Monday, Nov. 29

18:45 GMT on Monday, Nov. 29

21:45 p.m. Moscow time on Monday, Nov. 29

12:45 a.m. Kazakhstan time on Tuesday, Nov. 30

Undocking (from Rassvet):


22:02 GMT on Monday, Nov. 29

1:02 a.m. Moscow time on Tuesday, Nov. 30


Deorbit Burn:


00:38 GMT on Tuesday, Nov. 30



Landing:


1:28 GMT on Tuesday, Nov. 30


7:28 a.m. Kazakhstan time on Tuesday, Nov. 30 (about 1:43 before sunrise)


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OCTOBER 2010 SCIENCEOVERVIEW 57

Expedition 25/26 Science Overview

NASA astronaut Doug Wheelock, Expedition 25 flight engineer, works with theMinus Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS-2 (MELFI-2) in the Destiny laboratory

of the International Space Station.

Expedition 25 and 26 will deliver a bonusstorage and science facility, two newexperiment facilities and the first human-like

robot ever to move its head and stretch itsarms in microgravity. These researchand technology development activities willcontinue the transition of the InternationalSpace Station from construction site tofull-time laboratory, putting the potential ofspace to work for the people of Earth.

The Expedition 25 and 26 crews will workwith some 115 experiments involvingapproximately 380 researchers across a

variety of fields, including human lifesciences, physical sciences and Earthobservation, and conduct technologydemonstrations ranging from recycling torobotics. Seventy-two of these experimentswill be sponsored by U.S. investigators,including 18 under the auspices of theU.S. National Laboratory program, and


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58 SCIENCEOVERVIEW OCTOBER 2010

43 sponsored by international partnerinvestigators the Canadian Space

Agency (CSA), the European SpaceAgency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospaceand Exploration Agency (JAXA). More than680 hours of research are planned. A suiteof experiments organized by the RussianFederal Space Agency (RSA), Roscosmos,is also planned.

The arrival of the Permanent MultipurposeFacility, an Italian-built convertedpressurized cargo carrier named Leonardo,will add 2,700 cubic feet of pressurizedvolume to the orbiting laboratory, increasingthe total habitable volume of the station to13,846 cubic feet.

Robonaut 2 will be installed in the U.S.Destiny Laboratory, providing scientists andengineers on the ground and crews on thestation an opportunity to test how humansand human-like robots can work shoulder toshoulder in microgravity. Once this hasbeen demonstrated inside the station,

software upgrades and lower bodies can beadded, potentially allowing Robonaut 2 tomove around inside the station andeventually work outside in the vacuum ofspace. This will help NASA understandrobotic capabilities for future deep spacemissions.

Two new science facilities will bedelivered to the station for use in a varietyof investigations: the Boiling Experiment

Facility (BXF), which will supportmicrogravity experiments on the heattransfer and vapor removal processes inboiling, and the eighth Expedite the

Processing of Experiments to SpaceStation (EXPRESS) rack, which will be

installed in the Destiny Laboratory module.

The new boiling research apparatus willsupport the Microheater Array BoilingExperiment and the Nucleate Pool BoilingExperiment. Boiling efficiently removeslarge amounts of heat by generatingvapor from liquid, and is used on Earth inelectric power plants, electronic cooling andpurification, and separation of chemicalmixtures. For boiling to become aneffective method for cooling in space,scientists need to determine the critical heatflux, the point at which the heater iscovered with so much vapor that liquidsupply to the heater decreases.

A Japanese experiment that usescucumbers, called Dynamism of AuxinEfflux Facilitators Responsible forGravity-regulated Growth and Developmentin Cucumber (CsPINs), will continue toexpand the body of knowledge on how

plants react to the microgravity environmentsince growing plants for food and oxygengeneration is expected to be an importantfactor for long-duration missions to distantspace destinations.

As with prior expeditions, manyexperiments are designed to gatherinformation about the effects oflong-duration spaceflight on the humanbody, which will help us understand

complicated processes such as immunesystems while planning for futureexploration missions.


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NASA astronaut Shannon Walker, Expedition 25 flight engineer, works withMuscle Atrophy Resistive Exercise System (MARES) hardware during installation

of the MARES payload in the Columbus laboratory of the International Space Station.

The investigations cover humanresearch, biological and physicalsciences, technology development, Earthobservation and education. In the past,assembly and maintenance activities havedominated the available time for crew work.

But as completion of the orbiting laboratorynears, additional facilities and the crewmembers to operate them is enabling ameasured increase in time devoted toresearch as a national and multi-nationallaboratory.

Also on tap in the area of technologydemonstration is the resumption of workwith a recycling device known as Sabatier,designed to help wring additional waterfrom excess hydrogen not yet beingreclaimed by the stations water recovery

system.

Managing the international laboratorysscientific assets, as well as the timeand space required to accommodateexperiments and programs from a hostof private, commercial, industry andgovernment agencies nationwide, makes


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The control centers of NASA and itspartners are

NASA Payload Operations Center(POC), Marshall Space Flight Center inHuntsville, Ala.

RSA Center for Control of Spaceflights(TsUP in Russian) in Korolev, Russia

JAXA Space Station Integration andPromotion Center (SSIPC) in Tskuba,Japan

ESA Columbus Control Center (Col-CC)in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany

CSA Payloads Operations TelesciencesCenter, St. Hubert, Quebec, Canada

NASAs Payload Operations Center servesas a hub for coordinating much of the

work related to delivery of research facilitiesand experiments to the space station as

they are rotated in and out periodicallywhen space shuttles or other vehiclesmake deliveries and return completedexperiments and samples to Earth.

The payload operations director leads thePOCs main flight control team, known asthe cadre, and approves all science plansin coordination with Mission Control atNASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston,the international partner control centers andthe station crew.

On the Internet

For fact sheets, imagery and more onExpedition 25/26 experiments and payloadoperations, visit the following website:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/science/


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62 SCIENCEOVERVIEW OCTOBER 2010

Research Experiments

Principal

Name Title Agency Category Summary Location ISS/SortieInvestigator

Mouse Mouse NASA Biology and Mouse Immunology-2, using the Paula Dumars, ISS InflightImmunology-2 Immunology-2 Biotechnology mouse experimental model, will Ames

investigate the effects of Researchmicrogravity on immune function. In Center, Moffettmicrogravity, astronauts experience Field, Calif.changes in immune function. Thesestudies will help determine thebiological and/or biomedicalsignificance of spaceflight inducedchanges in immune responses

NLP-Cells-6 National NASA Biology and National Lab Pathfinder - Cells - 6 Louis ISS InflightLaboratory Biotechnology (NLP-Cells-6) is a commercial Stodieck,Pathfinder - Cells payload serving as a pathfinder for Ph.D.,- 6 the use of the International Space BioServe

Station as a National Laboratory Space

after assembly complete. It contains Technologies,several different experiments that University ofexamine cellular replication and Colorado -differentiation of cells. This research Boulderis investigating the use of spaceflight to enhance or improve cellulargrowth processes utilized in groundbased research

NLP-Vaccine National NASA Biology and National Lab Pathfinder - Vaccine Timothy SortieLaboratory Biotechnology (NLP-Vaccine) is a commercial Hammond,Pathfinder - payload serving as a pathfinder for M.B.B.S.,Vaccine the use of the International Space Durham

Station as a National Laboratory Veteransafter assembly is complete. It Affairs Medicalcontains several different Center,pathogenic, or disease causing, Durham, N.C.

organisms. This research isinvestigating the use of spaceflightto develop potential vaccines for theprevention of different infectionscaused by these pathogens on Earthand in microgravity

AMS-02 Alpha Magnetic NASA Earth and Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer - 02 Spokesperson: ISS ExternalSpectrometer - Space (AMS-02) seeks to understand Samuel Ting,02 Science fundamental issues on the origin Ph.D.,

and structure of the universe MassachusettsInstitute ofTechnology,Cambridge,Mass.

CEO Crew Earth NASA Earth and Crew Earth Observations (CEO) Susan Runco, ISS InflightObservations Space takes advantage of the unique Johnson

Science opportunity of crew members in Space Center,space to observe and photograph Houstonnatural and human-made changeson Earth. The photographs recordthe Earths surface changes overtime, along with dynamic eventssuch as storms, floods, fires andvolcanic eruptions. These imagesprovide researchers on Earth withkey data to better understand theplanet


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Research Experiments (continued)

Name Title Agency Category Summary Location PrincipalInvestigator ISS/Sortie

HREP-HICO HICO and RAIDSExperimentPayload HyperspectralImager for theCoastal Ocean

NASA Earth andSpaceScience

HICO and RAIDS ExperimentPayload Hyperspectral Imager forthe Coastal Ocean (HREP-HICO) willoperate a Visible and Near-Infrared(VNIR) Maritime HyperspectralImaging (MHSI) system, to detect,identify and quantify coastalgeophysical features from theInternational Space Station

Mike Corson,NavalResearchLaboratory,Washington

ISS External

HREP-RAIDS HICO and RAIDSExperimentPayload RemoteAtmospheric and

IonosphericDetection System(RAIDS)

NASA Earth andSpaceScience

HICO and RAIDS ExperimentPayload Remote Atmospheric andIonospheric Detection System(HREP-RAIDS) experiment willprovide atmospheric scientists with a

complete description of the majorconstituents of the thermosphere layer of the Earths atmosphere andionosphere uppermost layer of theEarths atmosphere global electrondensity profiles at altitudes between100 and 350 kilometers

ScottBudzien,NavalResearchLaboratory,

Washington

ISS External

CSI-05 CommercialGenericBioprocessingApparatusScience Insert -05

NASA EducationalActivities

Commercial Generic BioprocessingApparatus Science Insert - 05(CSI-05) is one investigation in theCSI program series. The CSIprogram provides the K-12community opportunities to utilize theunique microgravity environment ofthe International Space Station aspart of the regular classroom to

encourage learning and interest inscience, technology, engineering andmath

LouisStodieck,Ph.D.,BioServeSpaceTechnologies,University ofColorado -Boulder

ISS Inflight

NanoRacks-CubeLabs

NanoRacks-CubeLabs


NanoRacks-CubeLabs is amultipurpose research facility aboardthe International Space Station whichsupports NanoRacks-CubeLabsmodules by providing power and datatransfer capabilities to operateinvestigations in microgravity

ISS Inflight

EPO-Demos EducationPayloadOperation Demonstrations


Education Payload Operation Demonstrations (EPO-Demos) arerecorded video educationdemonstrations performed on theInternational Space Station by crewmembers using hardware already on

board the station. EPO-Demos arevideotaped, edited and used toenhance existing NASA educationresources and programs foreducators and students in gradesK-12

Matthew Keil,JohnsonSpaceCenter,Houston

ISS Inflight


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nasa iss expedition 25-26 press kit

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