Russia's Soyuz-TMA-2 Spacecraft to Dock With International Space Station Today

Russia's Soyuz-TMA-2 space ferry, which was launched from the Baikonur space center April 26, is to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) April 28. The Soyuz-TMA-2 is to link up with the ISS at 9.56 a.m. Moscow time. After that, members of the seventh long-duration expedition will transfer aboard the ISS. This was disclosed to RIA-NOVOSTI here today at the press center of this country's Space Force. The spacecraft is to dock in the automatic mode, press-center people noted.

The seventh long-duration expedition comprises Russian cosmonaut Yury Malenchenko and US astronaut Edward Lu.

Both men will replace the sixth long-duration expedition, i.e. Russia's Nikolai Budarin, as well as US astronauts Donald Pettit and Kenneth Bowersox. Malenchenko and Lu are to spend six months aboard the ISS, ensuring its operation all the same. Moreover, the new crew is to conduct 15 biological, medical and geo-physical experiments during their flight.