Expedition 23 Commander Oleg Kotov and Flight Engineers T.J. Creamer of NASA and Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency relocated their Soyuz spacecraft from the Earth-facing port of the Zarya module to the aft port of the Zvezda Service Module. The move opens up the Zarya's port for the installation next week of the new Russian "Rassvet" Mini-Research Module 1 by Atlantis' astronauts on the fifth day of the upcoming STS-132 mission to the station.
The thirteen astronauts and cosmonauts currently in Earth orbit together discussed their missions aboard the International Space Station and space shuttle Discovery. NASA astronauts Tracy Caldwell Dyson and T.J. Creamer are among Expedition 23s six flyers aboard the ISS, while space shuttle Discovery and its seven-member STS-131 crew remains docked to the station.
Astronauts have successfully installed an extension to the International Space Station in a series of spacewalks. The so-called Tranquility Node includes a number of docking locations and will provide a breathtaking, 360-degree view of Earth through its "cupola". Read more