[sarex] Preparations Continue for Expedition 15, ATV

[Arthur Rowe]

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468

*Preparations Continue for Expedition 15, ATV*

Image above: Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Image 
credit: NASA

TO VIEW PICTURE GO TO:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Suni Williams 
completed internal assembly tasks for the startup later this year of the 
new Oxygen Generation System (OGS). OGS, which will be required once the 
station crew expands to six people, is scheduled for activation during 
Expedition 15.

Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin prepared for the arrival of the European 
Space Agency’s unpiloted cargo craft, the Automated Transfer Vehicle. 
Tyurin set up equipment in the Zvezda module for a ground-operated test 
of the satellite navigation system to be used during autonomous docking 
of the ATV.

A reboost of the station is planned for March 15 using the Progress 23 
engines to place the station at the correct altitude for the launch of 
the Soyuz TMA-10 carrying the Expedition 15 crew.

The ISS Progress 23 cargo ship, currently docked to the Zvezda service 
module, will be jettisoned on March 27 to make room for the Soyuz TMA-9 
craft currently docked at the Zarya module. The Soyuz TMA-9 will be 
moved to the Zvezda service module on March 29 to make room for the 
Soyuz TMA-10. The Expedition 15 crew is scheduled to arrive at the 
station on April 9. The Expedition 14 crew will return to Earth on April 20.