Expedition Seven Arrives at Station
Two new residents have arrived at the International Space Station. The
Soyuz TMA-2 spacecraft linked up to the station this morning as they
flew over Kazakhstan in central Asia. The Russian Soyuz docked to the
Earth-facing port of the station's Zarya Module at 12:56 a.m. CDT (0556
GMT). Expedition Six Commander Ken Bowersox, Flight Engineer Nikolai
Budarin and NASA ISS Science Officer Don Pettit will welcome the
Expedition Seven crew -- Commander Yuri Malenchenko and NASA ISS Science
Officer Ed Lu -- aboard the station when the hatches to the Soyuz TMA-2
are opened later today about 2:20 a.m. CDT (0720 GMT). 

The two crews will conduct joint operations this week. Among their
handover activities, Expedition Six crewmembers will brief the new crew
about ongoing science and station maintenance activities. On Saturday,
Expedition Six will depart the station and return to Earth aboard the
Soyuz TMA-1 spacecraft, ending a stay at the orbital outpost that began
Nov. 25, 2002. 

Malenchenko and Lu are the first people to visit Expedition Six since
STS-113 left Dec. 2, 2002. They are the first humans to be launched into
space since Space Shuttle Columbia and the STS-107 crew were lost during
re-entry on Feb. 1. Expedition Seven is slated to spend six months
aboard the station.

Watch NASA TV to see the three astronauts and two cosmonauts aboard the
ISS participate in a news conference at 10:25 a.m. CDT (1525 GMT).

Check out the full schedule for upcoming Expedition Six and Seven
coverage on NASA TV