WASHINGTON -- NASA Television will broadcast the move of a Russian cargo spacecraft at the International Space Station and the demonstration of a new docking system beginning Sunday, July 22.

NASA TV coverage of ISS Progress 47's initial undocking starts at 4 p.m. EDT, July 22. Progress 47 will undock at 4:27 p.m.

Russian flight controllers will command the resupply ship to undock from the space station's Pirs compartment in a test of an updated docking system that will be used for both Progress and Soyuz human spacecraft in the future. The new automated rendezvous system, known as Kurs-NA, will use a single antenna, which will allow four others to be removed. The Kurs-NA-enabled Progress and Soyuz spacecraft will have only three antennas, half as many as the current versions. Kurs-NA also will use less power, improve safety and possess updated electronics.

Progress 47 arrived at the station in April. After it was emptied of its cargo, the space station crew filled it with trash for disposal.

NASA TV coverage of the Progress' re-rendezvous and docking will begin at 9:15 p.m. Monday, July 23. The ship will re-dock to the station at 9:57 p.m.

Coverage of Progress 47's final departure from the station begins at 2 p.m. Monday, July 30, with undocking set for 2:11 p.m. It then will be commanded to re-enter the atmosphere and burn up.

The next Russian cargo spacecraft, ISS Progress 48, is scheduled to launch Wednesday, Aug. 1, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Expedition 32 Commander Gennady Padalka of the Russian Federal Space Agency and his five crewmates, including NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Joe Acaba, will monitor events as the Progress 47 tests unfold.

For NASA TV streaming video, schedule and downlink information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information about the International Space Station and its crew, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station

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NASA Television to Air Space Station Cargo Ship Moves and Test

A Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying a cosmonaut, a NASA astronaut, and a Japanese engineer -- all space veterans -- docked with the International Space Station early Tuesday after a flawless rendezvous.

A Russian Soyuz ferry craft glided to a computer-orchestrated docking with the International Space Station early Tuesday, bringing a Russian cosmonaut, a NASA astronaut and a Japanese engineer to the lab complex two days after launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft as seen from the space station early Tuesday during the final phases of a two-day rendezvous.

With veteran cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko monitoring the autonomous approach from the center seat of the Soyuz TMA-05M command module, the spacecraft's docking system engaged its counterpart on the Earth-facing Rassvet module at 12:51 a.m. EDT as the two spacecraft sailed 252 miles above northeast Kazakhstan.

"Docking confirmed," someone said on the Russian flight control loop.

A few moments later, the docking mechanism pulled the Soyuz snugly into place for extensive leak checks, standard procedure before hatches could be opened.

The view of the International Space Station from an approaching Soyuz spacecraft bringing three fresh crew members to the lab complex.

The linkup occurred on the 37th anniversary of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Program docking in 1975, the first joint U.S.-Russian space mission.

"Congratulations to our crew and to our Russian partners," said Mike Surber, director of NASA operations in Russia. "It's a very exciting day as it's the 37th anniversary of the handshake between our two countries during Apollo-Soyuz. And here's (hoping) for 37 more years."

Malenchenko, NASA flight engineer Sunita Williams and Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide were joining Expedition 32 commander Gennady Padalka, cosmonaut Sergei Revin and NASA astronaut Joseph Acaba, who were launched to the space station May 15. They've had the outpost to themselves since July 1 when three earlier crew members departed and returned to Earth.

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Soyuz docks with space station, boosts crew back to six

17-07-2012 09:07 Record-setting Indian-American cosmonaut Sunita Williams along with two other astronauts today docked their Russian spacecraft at the International Space Station for a four-month stay. Williams, Russian Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency flight engineer Akihiko Hoshide arrived at the ISS after two days in orbit. The trio docked its Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft to the Rassvet module at around 10:21 IST, NASA said in a statement. For more log onto -

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Sunita Williams to take over as commander of ISS - NewsX - Video

Three astronauts arrived at the International Space Station early Tuesday for a four-month stay, bringing the huge orbiting outpost back to its full complement of six spacefliers.

The Soyuz space capsule carrying the three new crew members NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko and Japanese spaceflier Aki Hoshide docked with the station at 12:51 a.m. EDT Tuesday after a two-day flight. The Soyuz was launched into orbit Saturday from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

"Everything is perfect," Malenchenko radioed Russia's Mission Control Center in Korolev, just outside Moscow. Video cameras on the exterior of the space station captured spectacular views of the Soyuz pulling up to the orbiting lab with the bright blue Earth in the background.

At docking time, the Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft and space station were sailing 251 miles (402 kilometers) over northeastern Kazakhstan. The Soyuz parked itself at an Earth-facing docking port on the station's Russian-built Rassvet module, and the hatches connecting the two spacecraft were opened at 3:23 a.m. ET.

The Russian-U.S.-Japanese crew aboard the Soyuz arrived at the space station 37 years to the day after the world's first truly international space docking: the July 17 meet-up between a NASA Apollo spacecraft and a Soviet Soyuz 19 capsule during the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975. During that historic test flight, NASA astronaut Tom Stafford shook hands with Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov to cement the foundation of international space cooperation that ultimately led to the $100 billion International Space Station in orbit today.

Today, the space station is the largest human-built structure in space, often visible to the unaided eye from the ground. Fifteen different countries and five space agencies representing the United States, Russia, Europe, Canada and Japan built the huge orbiting laboratory. Construction began in 1998.

fter the hatches were opened between the Soyuz and station, Williams, Malenchenko and Hoshide floated aboard the station and joined their fellow Expedition 32 crew members. That crew includes Expedition 32 commander Gennady Padalka, fellow cosmonaut Sergei Revin and NASA astronaut Joe Acaba.

Padalka, Revin and Acaba have had the space station to themselves since July 1, when three spacefliers returned to Earth and brought the station's previous Expedition 31 to a close. Padalka, Revin and Acaba will come home themselves in mid-September.

When that happens, Williams will take over as commander. She, Malenchenko and Hoshide are scheduled to depart the station on Nov. 12.

But first, the six-crew Expedition 32 crew will have to prepare for a busy few weeks ahead. On Friday, an unmanned Japanese cargo ship will launch toward the station carrying a fresh load of supplies for the orbiting lab's crew. It will arrive at the station on July 27.

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It's move-in day for trio at space station

A grinning multinational crew of three floated through the open hatches of the International Space station on Tuesday to join the trio already on board the experimental science lab spinning around Earth.

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Joyful crews unite aboard space station

Three astronauts arrived at the International Space Station early Tuesday (July 17) for a four-month stay, bringing the huge orbiting outpost back to its full complement of six spaceflyers.

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Soyuz Capsule Docks at Space Station with International Space Crew

SAN FRANCISCO NanoRacks LLC said July 13 that an internal investigation determined that some student-designed experiments delivered to the International Space Station (ISS) in May and returned to Earth in early July were never activated on-orbit due to a flaw in NanoRack's astronaut training procedures. Jeffrey Manber, managing director of the Houston-based company, said in an email that NanoRacks will pay to refly the affected experiments.

The student space experiments in question were fluids housed in Teflon vials, known as MixStix, that were among the cargo Space Exploration Technologies' Dragon spacecraft delivered to the ISS in late May.

Once onboard the space station, an astronaut was supposed to start each experiment by flexing the tube to mix the fluids. When the vials were returned to students via the Russian Soyuz that landed July 1, many researchers determined their experiments were never activated.

More space news from NBCNews.com

Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: A storm from the sun sparked colorful northern lights that stretched as far south as Arkansas. Check out our gallery of must-see auroral imagery.

"Previous crews were given on the ground review and personal interaction prior to launch," Manber said. "For this mission, the astronaut received hardware training solely via video while on the space station. Clearly, there was a miscommunication resulting from the video instruction."

In the future, NanoRacks plans to change the MixStix instructional video, train astronauts prior to missions if possible and review other NanoRacks videos to make sure future missions are successful, Manber added.

This story was provided by Space News, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.

2012 Space.com. All rights reserved. More from Space.com.

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Space station blunder blamed on flawed training

SAN FRANCISCO — NanoRacks LLC said July 13 that an internal investigation determined that some student-designed experiments delivered to the International Space Station (ISS) in May and returned to Earth in early July were never activated on-orbit due to a flaw in NanoRack's astronaut training procedures. Jeffrey Manber, managing director of the Houston-based company, said in an email that ...

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Space Station Science Experiment Blunder Blamed on Flawed Training

A trio of experienced astronauts blasted off Saturday night from Kazakhstan's Baikonour Cosmodrome to join the crew aboard the International Space Station.

Three veteran space travelers from three different countries are gearing up to launch toward the International Space Station tonight (July 14) to begin a months-long mission to the orbiting laboratory.

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NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency spaceflyer Akihiko Hoshidewill lift off on the Russian Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft at 10:40 p.m. EDT (0240 July 15 GMT) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The three-person team will become part of thespace station's Expedition 32 mission, and is due to stay for about four months.

"We're really excited to be getting closer and closer to our launch in July," Williams said during a press conference in March. "It's going to be a great mission, really exciting, lots of things to do. We're sort of like a family and we've got a couple other great crew members up onboard."

Williams and her crewmates will join the three spaceflyers alreadyliving on the space station: commander Gennady Padalka of Russia, his cosmonaut colleague Sergei Revin, and NASA astronautJoe Acaba, who have all been in space since May.

In a cosmic coincidence, the Soyuz TMA-05M rocket carrying the new Expedition 32 crew will launch on July 15 local time at Baikonur Cosmodrome, marking the 37th anniversary of the world's first international crewed space mission in 1975: the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. That historic mission marked the first space docking between a Soviet and U.S. spacecraft, paving the way for the international cooperation needed to build the International Space Station. [Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in Pictures]

Today, the $100 billion space station is the product of five space agencies and 15 different countries working together to build the orbiting lab piece-by-piece since the first component launched in 1998.

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Veteran crew en route to space station

A Russian Soyuz craft has launched into the morning skies over Kazakhstan, carrying three astronauts on their way to the International Space Station (ISS), where they will quickly start preparing for a frenzy of incoming traffic.

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, Russian cosmonaut Yury Malenchenko and Japan's Akihito Hoshide are set to travel for two days before joining three colleagues already at the permanent space outpost.

Families and colleagues watched the launch on Sunday from an observation platform in the Russian-leased cosmodrome in the dry southern steppes of this sprawling Central Asian nation.

Lift-off took place at the scheduled time of 8.40am local time (12.40pm AEST), sending a deafening roar as the craft gained height.

Despite intense G-force pressure, the three astronauts looked relaxed in televised footage as they performed a series of routine operations.

The Soyuz jettisoned three rocket booster stages as it was propelled into orbit, which takes just over nine minutes.

At that stage, a doll given to Malenchenko as a mascot by his daughter and suspended over the three astronauts floated out of view on television footage, indicating the craft had escaped the Earth's gravitational pull.

The shell that surrounds the capsule during the launch phase also peeled away, soaking the astronauts in bright yellow sunshine pouring through the viewing hatches.

The solar arrays that deployed on the Soyuz after orbital entry will provide the craft with the power it needs during its two-day trip.

Williams, tightly squeezed into the cramped craft, gave a thumbs-up sign and waved to onboard cameras as Russian space agency chief Vladimir Popovkin congratulated the crew over radio control.

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Soyuz rocket blasts off for space station

14-07-2012 22:04 A Russian Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft launched to the International Space Station on July 15 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Inside the spacecraft for the two-day journey are Expedition 32/33 Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko, NASA Flight Engineer Suni Williams and Flight Engineer Aki Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the station's next crew. The trio will dock to the station July 17 to start a four month tour, joining station Commander Gennady Padalka, NASA Flight Engineer Joe Acaba and Russian Flight Engineer Sergei Revin, who have been on the outpost since mid-May.

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Soyuz Launches to Space Station - Video

15-07-2012 02:02 A Soyuz spacecraft carrying the next crew for the International Space Station has successfully blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome. The international team will spend about four months in orbit. The details from RT's Thabang Motsei in Kazakhstan. RT LIVE Subscribe to RT! Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Google+ RT (Russia Today) is a global news network broadcasting from Moscow and Washington studios. RT is the first news channel to break the 500 million YouTube views benchmark.

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Spectacular Launch: Soyuz takes new crew to ISS - Video

ALMATY (Reuters) - A trio of Russian, Japanese and U.S. astronauts blasted off aboard a Soyuz spaceship on Sunday for a four-month mission on the International Space Station (ISS) that Moscow hopes will help restore confidence in its space programme. Veteran Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams and Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide launched successfully aboard the ...

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Russian Soyuz rocket blasts off for space station

BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan A Russian Soyuz craft launched into the morning skies over Kazakhstan on Sunday, carrying three astronauts on their way to the international space station, where they will quickly start preparing for a frenzy of incoming traffic.

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, Russian cosmonaut Yury Malenchenko and Japan's Akihito Hoshide are set to travel two days before reaching their three colleagues already at the permanent space outpost.

Families and colleagues watched the launch from an observation platform in the Russian-leased cosmodrome in the dry southern steppes of this sprawling Central Asian nation.

Liftoff took place at the exact scheduled time of 08:40 a.m. local time (0240 GMT), sending a deafening roar as the craft gained height.

Despite withstanding intense G-force pressure, the three astronauts looked relaxed in televised footage as they performed a series of routine operations.

The Soyuz jettisoned three rocket booster stages as it was propelled into orbit, which takes just over nine minutes.

At that stage, a doll given to Malenchenko as a mascot by his daughter and suspended over the three astronauts floated out of view on television footage, indicating the craft had escaped the earth's gravitational pull.

The shell that surrounds the capsule during the launch phase also peeled away, soaking the astronauts in bright yellow sunshine pouring through the viewing hatches.

The solar arrays that deployed on the Soyuz after orbital entry will provide the craft with the power it needs during its two-day trip.

Williams, tightly squeezed into the cramped craft, gave a thumbs-up sign and waved to onboard cameras as Russian space agency chief Vladimir Popovkin congratulated the crew over radio control.

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Russian rocket blasts off on mission to space station- Fla. space workers struggle a year after last shuttle

A Russian Soyuz rocket launched into orbit late Saturday, carrying three new crewmembers toward the International Space Station.

The rocket rose from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, lofting the Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft into orbit. Liftoff came at 10:40 p.m. ET Saturday, which means it was early Sunday at the Central Asian spaceport. Onboard were an American, a Russian and a Japanese astronaut due to take up residence for four months at the orbiting outpost.

NASA TV showed the Soyuz soaring smoothly into a blue sky dotted with clouds, punching a hole through a cloud layer on its way up. It is due to dock at the station early Tuesday, at which time the three newcomers will join the existing crew of three on the space station's Expedition 32 mission.

The new complement includes NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, and Japanese spaceflier Akihiko Hoshide.

"Unfortunately our mission is only four months I wish it would be years and years and years," Williams said during a preflight briefing. "I'm really lucky to be flying with Yuri and Aki. I think we're going to have a great time."

An international milestone By coincidence, the U.S.-Russian-Japanese crew's launch and docking is coinciding with the 37th anniversary of the world's first international space mission: the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.

On July 15, 1975, NASA launched an Apollo capsule and the Soviet Union launched its Soyuz 19 capsule to perform the first international space docking test. The mission set the foundation for the international partnerships that have led to the $100 billion International Space Station in orbit today. [Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in Pictures]

In September, the current station crew Gennady Padalka and Sergei Revin of Russia, and NASA astronaut Joe Acaba will return to Earth, and Williams will relieve Padalka as space station commander. She will be the second female space station commander in the facility's history. (NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson was the first, in 2007.)

"I'm not good at bossing people around but my husband might say that's not so true," Williams joked. "If I say we're going to do this, they all jump on it. Everybody's also felt free to offer their two cents. I think it's going to be really, honestly, pretty easy, and part of that is communication."

The international crew will each be bringing a taste of home and their own cultures with them to share.

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Space station crew launches into orbit

Launch of a Russian Soyuz crew ferry craft bound for the International Space Station kicks off a busy six weeks of activity in orbit, with multiple dockings, undockings and a pair of challenging spacewalks on tap.

A Soyuz spacecraft carrying a Russian commander, a NASA flight engineer, and a Japanese astronaut -- all veteran space travelers -- blasted off and streaked into orbit late Saturday (U.S. time), the first leg of a two-day flight to the International Space Station.

Under a partly cloudy sky, the Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 10:40 p.m. EDT Saturday (GMT-4; 8:40 a.m. Sunday local time) and quickly climbed away atop a rush of fiery exhaust.

The Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft climbs away from its launching stand at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to kick off a two-day flight to the International Space Station.

The launching came on the 37th anniversary of the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz Test Project that opened the door to U.S.-Russian space cooperation.

"So how are you guys doing?" Vladimir Popovkin, director of the Russian federal space agency, asked the crew a few minutes before liftoff. "All comfy?"

"Yes sir, we're all situated and getting ready," Yuri Malenchenko, the Soyuz commander, replied.

"Excellent. I don't want to take up any more of you time. I wish you all the best, best of luck during the ascent and free flight operations. And hopefully, everything that you wish for will come true. All the best to you."

Live television from inside the central command module showed Malenchenko, strapped into the center seat, monitoring the automated ascent, flanked on the left by NASA flight engineer Sunita Williams and on the right by Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide. All three appeared relaxed as they monitored cockpit displays, tightly strapped into their custom-fitted couches.

Soyuz commander Yuri Malenchenko, left, monitors cockpit displays during the spacecraft's automated ascent. NASA flight engineer Sunita Williams, right, assists. Crewmate Akihiko Hoshide is out of view to the left.

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Soyuz rocket blasts off with three bound for space station

A Russian Soyuz craft launched into the morning skies over Kazakhstan on Sunday, carrying three astronauts on their way to the International Space Station, where they will quickly start preparing for a frenzy of incoming traffic.

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Soyuz rocket launches on mission to space station

A Soyuz rocket blasted off with an international crew of three toward the International Space Station on Sunday in a mission testing the reliability of Russia's crisis-prone space programme.

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Russian rocket launches new crew to space

Indian-American Sunita Williams [ Images ], a record-setting astronaut who lived and worked aboard the International Space Station [ Images ] for six months in 2006, is all set for her second space odyssey.

Williams, 46, is scheduled to take off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 8.40 am on Sunday (8.10 am Indian Standard Time) with Flight Engineers Yuri Malenchenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency and Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan [ Images ] Aerospace Exploration Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration said.

The three crew members will join the Expedition 32 crew aboard the International Space Station when their Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft docks to the orbiting complex on Tuesday.

According to NASA [ Images ], Williams, a flight engineer, and her colleagues will be aboard the station during an exceptionally busy period that includes two spacewalks, the arrival of Japanese, American and Russian re-supply vehicles, and an increasingly faster pace of scientific research.

Williams, whose father hailed from Gujarat, was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in 1998. She was assigned to the International Space Station as a member of Expedition 14 and then joined Expedition 15. She holds the record of the longest spaceflight (195 days) for woman space travellers.

She received a master's degree from the Florida [ Images ] Institute of Technology in 1995.

In space, Williams, who will become commander of Expedition 33, and her team of astronauts plan an orbital sporting event to mark the Summer Olympics [ Images ] in London [ Images ].

"I'm just looking forward to seeing the full capability of the space station. It's an experiment, not only the things that we are doing inside but also all the engineering that has gone into allowing us to dock new vehicles, do space walks, Russian and US. So, it's a pretty complicated vehicle now and I'm looking forward to being part of it," Williams said recently.

Meanwhile, in orbit high above the Earth, Expedition 32 Flight Engineer Joe Acaba focused on cleaning the exhaust and intake ducts of the Starboard Crew Quarters on Friday to prepare them for the arrival of new crewmates, NASA said.

Acaba also swapped out batteries on the Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle School Students camera in the Window Observational Research Facility inside the Destiny laboratory.

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Sunita Williams all set for second sojourn to space

Engineers are making final preparations for launch of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft this weekend to ferry an all-veteran U.S.-Russian-Japanese crew to the International Space Station to boost the lab's crew complement back to six. The launch will kick off a "fantastically busy" timeline, with nine space station "visiting vehicle" operations and two spacewalks over the next six weeks.

Her ride -- the Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft -- is scheduled for liftoff from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 10:40:03 p.m. EDT Saturday (GMT-4; 8:40 a.m. Sunday local time), the 37th anniversary of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project that opened the door to U.S.-Russian space cooperation.

"They've got a fantastically busy mission ahead of them, they are looking toward nine visiting vehicles during the time they're up on board the space station, which is really a lot of coming and going," said NASA chief astronaut Peggy Whitson, a veteran space station commander. "It's going to take a lot of choreography by the ground teams and the crews on orbit to make this all happen. It'll be a very challenging and exciting time for them."

At the controls in the cramped Soyuz command module's center seat will be Soyuz commander Yuri Malenchenko, veteran of a stay aboard the Mir space station, two long-duration expeditions aboard the International Space Station and a space shuttle station assembly flight. He has logged a combined total of 515 days in space.

Williams, strapped in to Malenchenko's left, spent 195 days in space during a space station expedition in 2006 and 2007, riding to and from the lab complex aboard a space shuttle. Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, who helped activate the station's Japanese research module during a 14-day 2008 shuttle flight, will be seated in the Soyuz command module's right seat.

If all goes well, Malenchenko will oversee an automated approach to the space station, docking at the Earth-facing Rassvet module around 12:52 a.m. EDT Tuesday. Standing by to welcome them aboard will be Expedition 32 commander Gennady Padalka, cosmonaut Sergei Revin and NASA astronaut Joseph Acaba, who were launched to the lab on May 15.

A veteran Navy helicopter pilot, Williams is the 13th NASA astronaut trained to fly as a left-seat "board engineer" -- effectively the co-pilot -- aboard a Soyuz spacecraft. As such, she is trained to carry out a rendezvous or fly the craft back to Earth if illness or some other mishap prevented Malenchenko from carrying out his duties.

"It's been a little bit of a long road, it's been about a two-and-a-half-year training flow and as a left seater, you're here in Russia probably almost 50 percent of the time learning about the spacecraft, learning not only about it, but how to operate it, how to fly it, rendezvous, manual descents, and so it's pretty intense," Williams said.

"But the training program is awesome, the folks at Star City (near Moscow) are really great and they really get you prepared. I really feel pretty confident, particularly after being a backup, about the possibility, if anything happened to Yuri, that I'd be able to dock the spacecraft and manually bring it back home. I think that's pretty huge when you think about it."

During her first spaceflight, Williams made the climb into space strapped in on the space shuttle's lower deck with no major responsibilities for getting the ship to its destination. Going into her first station mission, Williams was focused on upcoming spacewalks and normal work aboard the lab complex. This time around, she will serve as a space station flight engineer until Padalka's crew departs in mid September. At that point, Williams will become commander of Expedition 33, the second woman to take on that responsibility.

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Soyuz TMA-05M set for crew launch to space station