Expedition 16 Docks with the Station
The International Space Station now has 6 crew members on board, after the Soyuz capsule carrying Expedition 16 docked earlier today. Commander Peggy Whitson, Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko and spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor floated into the station when the hatches were opened at 12:22 p.m. EDT on Friday.
The station is going to be a busy place for the next week, with all 6 crew members aboard. And then three members will depart on October 21st. Shukor will return with Expedition 15 members Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov.
Whitson is the first female commander of the station. And if the shuttle mission STS-120 launches on schedule, it will bring shuttle commander Pam Melroy to the station. This will be the first time that two female mission commanders are in orbit at the same time.
Original Source: NASA News Release
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