New Space Station Crew Members Launch From Kazakhstan

HOUSTON -- NASA astronauts Doug Wheelock and Shannon Walker and
Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin launched to the International
Space Station aboard their Soyuz TMA-19 spacecraft at 4:35 p.m. CDT
Tuesday (3:35 a.m. Wednesday local time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome
in Kazakhstan.

Wheelock, Walker and Soyuz commander Yurchikhin are scheduled to dock
with their new home at 5:25 p.m. Thursday, June 17. They will join
Expedition 24 crewmates Tracy Caldwell Dyson, a NASA astronaut, and
Russian cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov, the station commander, and
Mikhail Kornienko aboard the orbiting laboratory.

On Thursday, coverage of the Soyuz docking will begin on NASA
Television at 5 p.m. NASA TV will return at 9 p.m. for coverage of
the hatches opening and the welcoming ceremony aboard the station.
For NASA TV streaming video, schedule and downlink information,
visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

During Expedition 24, the six-person crew will continue scientific
research investigations and station maintenance activities. On June
28, Yurchikhin, Wheelock and Walker will climb back into their Soyuz
spacecraft and move it to the newly-delivered Mini-Research Module-1,
or Rassvet.

The mission also includes three spacewalks, one conducted by Russian
cosmonauts Yurchikhin and Kornienko on July 26 and two by NASA
astronauts Wheelock and Caldwell Dyson on Aug. 5 and 17.

Skvortsov, Caldwell Dyson and Kornienko, who launched to the station
on April 2, are scheduled to return to Earth on Sept. 24. Before
departing, Skvortsov will hand over command of the station to
Wheelock for Expedition 25, which begins when the Soyuz TMA-18
undocks Sept. 24.

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonauts Alexander Kaleri and
Oleg Skripochka will join Wheelock, Walker and Yurchikhin in orbit on
Oct. 10 to complete the Expedition 25 crew. Their launch is set for
Oct. 8.

Expedition 24/25 crew member Walker will blog about her experiences in
orbit. To find her blog and for more information about the space
station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

To follow Twitter updates from Expedition 24/25 crew member Wheelock,
visit:

http://twitter.com/Astro_Wheels

Source: NASA