The Soyuz spacecraft carrying two replacement crew members and game developer Richard Garriott is docked at the International Space Station. NASA TV captured this image of the Soyuz TMA-13 closing in on the Earth-facing port of the station's Zarya module. The docking took place over Kazakhstan, where the Soyuz lifted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome Sunday morning.
This mission has a unique historial aspect---it's the first time the second generation of astronauts and cosmonauts will be working and flying together in space. Sergei Volkov, commander of Expedition 17, is the son of cosmonaut Alexander Volkov. Garriot, a space tourist flying via Space Adventures, is the son of NASA astronaut Owen Garriott.
Both proud fathers were at the Russian control room and participated in a post-docking press conference this morning. Docking took place a little early, at 4:26 a.m. EDT.
The incoming fliers are arriving to good news: the balky toilet is working again. And, power problems related to a separator are also fixed.
Coming onboard the space station with Garriott: Expedition 18 commander Mike Fincke and flight engineer Yury Lonchakov. Already onboard for Expedition 18: astronaut Greg Chamitoff.
Garriott will return to Earth with Volkov and Expedition 17 Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko, in their Soyuz TMA-12 on Oct. 23. Expedition 17 launched to the station April 8. By the time Volkov and Kononenko get home they will have spent 199 days in space.
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