[sarex] ISS STATUS REPORT #05-22

["ARTHUR Z. ROWE" <N1ORC@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Submitted by Arthur N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468

*International Space Station Status Report #05-22*
*6 p.m. CDT, Sunday, April 24, 2005*
*Expedition 10 Crew*

After traveling more than 78 million miles aboard the International 
Space Station, Expedition 10 Commander and NASA ISS Science Officer 
Leroy Chiao and Flight Engineer Salizhan Sharipov returned to Earth 
today. With them was European Space Agency Astronaut Roberto Vittori, 
who had spent eight days aboard the orbiting complex doing research.

After a flawless descent by the ISS Soyuz 9 spacecraft, Chiao, Sharipov 
and Vittori landed on target in north-central Kazakhstan, about 53 miles 
(85 kilometers) northeast of Arkalyk, at 5:08 p.m. CDT. Recovery forces 
arrived at the site within minutes of the touchdown. The area was 
saturated from recent rains and melting winter snow, so the first 
members of the recovery team to reach the scene decided to fly the crew 
to Arkalyk to meet with remaining members of the recovery team.

The crew's friends and families are expected to greet them upon their 
arrival at Star City, Russia, about eight hours after landing. Chiao and 
Sharipov will remain in Star City for a few weeks of post-flight 
debriefings and medical exams before returning to Houston in mid-May.

Chiao and Sharipov spent 192 days, 19 hours and 2 minutes in space. They 
launched on Oct. 13, on the same Soyuz spacecraft that brought them 
home. For six months, the pair maintained systems and conducted 
scientific research onboard the Station.

Among their accomplishments on the Station was replacing critical 
hardware in the Joint Quest Airlock, repairing U.S. spacesuits, 
submitting a scientific research paper on ultrasound use in space and 
voting for the first time in an American Presidential election from 
space. They completed two spacewalks, including experiment installation 
and tasks that prepared the Station for the arrival of a new European 
cargo ship next year.

Aboard the Station, the Expedition 11 crew, Commander Sergei Krikalev 
and Flight Engineer and NASA Station Science Officer John Phillips, are 
beginning a six-month mission that will include the resumption of Space 
Shuttle flights and two spacewalks from the Station. Expedition 11 is 
scheduled to return to Earth on Oct. 7, 2005.

Krikalev and Phillips will have light duty for the next three days as 
they rest after completing a busy handover period. For the past week, 
they have been learning about Station operations from the two men who 
called the ship home since October. Chiao and Sharipov briefed Krikalev 
and Phillips on day-to-day operations and gave them hands-on 
opportunities at Station maintenance: Chiao and Phillips restored 
functionality of the Quest for future spacewalks and practiced operating 
the Canadarm2 robotic arm.

Information on the crew's activities aboard the Station, future launch 
dates, as well as Station sighting opportunities from anywhere on the 
Earth, is available on the Internet at:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

The next ISS status report will be issued on Friday, April 29, or 
earlier if events warrant.

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