NASA extends Russian contract for Space Station

William Atkins
Friday, 29 May 2009 18:39

Science - Space

The Soyuz TMA-15 spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the Space Station on Friday, May 29, 2009, at approximately 1236 GMT.

The spacecraft will transport three more crewmembers (ESA astronaut Frank De Winne, Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Robert Thirsk) to the ISS.

This will bring its ISS crewmembers to six, the largest number of people to inhabit the Space Station for an Expedition mission.

Four missions  are necessary, two in the spring and two in the fall of 2012, because the ISS is now accommodating six crewmembers at a time, and each Soyuz spacecraft has a full capacity of only three persons.

The May 28, 2009 NASA media report states, “Under the contract modification, the Soyuz flights will carry limited cargo to and from the station, and dispose of trash. The cargo allowed per person is approximately 110 pounds launched to the station, approximately 37 pounds returned to Earth, and trash disposal of approximately 66 pounds.”

More information on the expanded manned capacity of the International Space Station is found on the May 28, 2009 iTWire article Three new Space Station crew to join three others onboard.