NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Station Crew Does Science, Prepares for Upcoming Visitors

Image above: Flight Engineer Sandra Magnus works on a science experiment rack inside the Destiny laboratory. Credit: NASA

The Expedition 18 crew focused on science activities aboard the International Space Station Friday.

Flight Engineer Yury Lonchakov spent time with a plant biology experiment as well as studying crew breathing in microgravity. He also took photographs of the Earth as part of an Earth observation experiment.

Commander Mike Fincke and Lonchakov worked out on the station’s treadmill while Flight Engineer Sandra Magnus continued the setup and checkout of the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device.

The station crew members spent some time Friday in a space-to-ground conference with their successors. Expedition 19 is scheduled to launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on March 25.

Fincke, Lonchakov and Magnus also are readying the station and packing items for the upcoming STS-119 mission. In February, space shuttle Discovery will bring a new solar array and truss structure as well as a new station crew member to the orbiting outpost.

› Read more about Expedition 18
› View crew timelines

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2009 International Space Station Calendar

As part of NASA's celebration of the 10th anniversary of the International Space Station, the agency is offering a special 2009 calendar to teachers, as well as the general public.

The calendar contains photographs taken from the space station and highlights historic NASA milestones and fun facts about the international construction project of unprecedented complexity that began in 1998.

› Download calendar (5.3 Mb PDF)