ISS Crew Relaxes Day After Soyuz Relocation

Station Crew Rests Following Soyuz Relocation

One day after successfully relocating a Soyuz spacecraft, Expedition 10
Commander Leroy Chiao and Flight Engineer Salizhan Sharipov enjoyed light
duty aboard the International Space Station.
Chiao and Sharipov left the Station unoccupied as they flew aboard the ISS
Soyuz 9 spacecraft Monday. Sharipov, who served as the Soyuz commander,
undocked the Russian spacecraft from the Station's Pirs Docking Compartment
at 3:29 a.m. CST (0929 GMT) and redocked the Soyuz to the Earthward-facing
port on the Zarya Control Module at 3:53 a.m. CST (0953 GMT).

The relocation of the Soyuz allows Chiao and Sharipov to use Pirs as the
airlock for their two spacewalks. They will install science experiments and
hardware on the outside of the ISS. They will also prepare the Space Station
for the arrival of the Automated Transfer Vehicle.

On the ground, Russian officials announced new dates for the launch and
docking of the ISS Progress 16 spacecraft. The Progress will launch from
Kazakhstan on Dec. 23 at 4:19 p.m. CST (2219 GMT) and arrive at the ISS at
6:05 p.m. CST Dec. 25 (0005 GMT Dec. 26). The cargo ship currently attached
the Station, Progress 15, is slated to undock Dec. 22 at 1:34 p.m. CST (1934
GMT).


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Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.info