Sitting in front of the Soyuz TMA-18 spacecraft are (from left) Tracy Dyson, Alexander Skvortsov and Mikhail Kornienko. Image Credit: NASA
The three-member Expedition 23 crew will expand to six on April 4 when Flight Engineers Alexander Skvortsov, Tracy Caldwell Dyson and Mikhail Kornienko dock to the International Space Station in the Soyuz TMA-18 spacecraft. On April 7, space shuttle Discovery with the seven-member STS-131 crew will visit the orbiting laboratory and deliver science racks and ammonia tanks.
Onboard the station, Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi and NASA astronaut T.J. Creamer, both flight engineers, configured tools and other gear in advance of the three spacewalks planned during STS-131. Commander Oleg Kotov exercised on the new treadmill and worked in the station’s Russian segment performing science and maintenance work.
Creamer’s work Thursday to bypass an erratic sensor on the Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly was successful, and the system that scrubs carbon dioxide from the environment in the U.S. segment of the space station has been back in operation since Thursday evening. Meanwhile, plans for a thorough leak check of the Water Processor Assembly (WPA) Friday were postponed while specialists in Houston evaluate additional data. The crew’s quick look check Thursday found no evidence of leaks, and teams are considering a plan for the crew to remove a catalyst reactor to look for leaks inside that apparatus. The station has a large supply of clean water on board for the crew members to drink while the WPA is down.
The crew continues its Earth observation activities by photographing urban areas and natural landmarks for study by students and scientists and viewing on the Internet. A highlight for Friday’s photography session is Volcan Colima in southwestern Mexico. The 3,850-meter strato-volcano complex is still active and will be photographed for the first time in a cloud-free environment.
