[sarex] IT'S KD5PLA IN FOR KD5PLB on the iss

[Arthur Rowe]

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468

THE FOLLOWING IS FROM THE ARRL WEEKLY LETTER

==> IT'S KD5PLA IN FOR KD5PLB ON INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

NASA has given the go-ahead for the launch of the space shuttle Atlantis
Friday, June 8. The STS-117 mission will carry US astronaut Clay
Anderson, KD5PLA, to the International Space Station to succeed Suni
Williams, KD5PLB, as ISS Expedition 15 Flight Engineer. Anderson will
join Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, RN3FI, and Flight
Engineer Dr Oleg Kotov. 

Williams will return to Earth aboard the Atlantis. She arrived on the
ISS last December and has been among the most active ISS crew members on
Amateur Radio. NASA originally planned the astro-swap for the STS-118
shuttle mission, now targeted for an August launch. 

Atlantis Commander Rick Sturckow and his six crewmates will spend 11
days in space and take part in three spacewalks. Work planned for this
mission will increase the ISS's power capability in preparation for the
arrival of new science modules from the European and Japanese space
agencies. 

Joining Sturckow and Anderson on STS-117 will be Pilot Lee Archambault
and mission specialists Patrick Forrester, Steven Swanson, John "Danny"
Olivas and Jim Reilly.