Mon, Apr 12, 2004
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.
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