During flight on ISS Kaleri and Foale to unload three progress vehicles and walk in the open space

During their 200-day flight on board ISS, Russian cosmonaut Alexander Kaleri and American astronaut Michael Foale will unload three Progress cargo spaceships and walk in open space once.

"In addition, the program of the Expedition 8 includes the re-supply of the Russian segment of the station, and the integration of docking equipment on Zvezda module, which will accommodate the European ATV cargo supply vehicle arriving for the first time in the second half of 2004," announced head of press service of the Mission Control Center Valeri Lyndin in an interview with RIA Novosti.

"This new cargo supply vehicle created by specialists from the European Space Agency (ESA) is equipped with Russian-made Kursk automated docking system to allow the vehicle to dock with the Russian module without problems," said Mr. Lyndin.

Besides, Alexander Kaleri and Michael Foale will conduct important technological experiments ordered by space agencies of the participants of ISS program and various scientific research experiments. Most probably both astronauts will hand over their duties aboard the station to back-up crew members - Russian cosmonaut Valeri Tokarev, American astronaut William McArthur and Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers.

The Expedition 7 crewmembers - Yuri Malenchenko and Edward Lu will return to Earth on October 28 on board Soyuz TMA-2 spacecraft. ESA astronaut Pedro Duque, who arrives at the station on Monday with Alexander Kaleri and Michael Foale will return home together with the Expedition 7 crewmembers.