SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468

*Station Crew to Greet New Visitors Aboard Station* 25 October 2007

iss015e36035 -- Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson Image Above: Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson works on a U.S. spacesuit inside the Quest Airlock. Image credit: NASA TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO:http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineers Yuri Malenchenko and Clay Anderson will welcome a new set of visitors aboard the International Space Station today. Space Shuttle Discovery is slated to dock with the station at 8:33 a.m. EDT and the STS-120 crew will enter the station for the first time about 10:30 a.m.

+ View docking animation javascript:watchNASAOnDemandTV('http://mfile.akamai.com/18566/wmv/etouchsyst2.download.akamai.com/18355/wm.nasa-global/sts-120/S07_Rendezvous.asx') + View rendezvous animation javascript:watchNASAOnDemandTV('http://mfile.akamai.com/18566/wmv/etouchsyst2.download.akamai.com/18355/wm.nasa-global/sts-120/S07_Rendezvous.asx') + View rendezvous pitch maneuver animation javascript:watchNASAOnDemandTV('http://mfile.akamai.com/18566/wmv/etouchsyst2.download.akamai.com/18355/wm.nasa-global/sts-120/S06_RPM.asx') + View shuttle approaching the space station animation javascript:watchNASAOnDemandTV('http://mfile.akamai.com/18566/wmv/etouchsyst2.download.akamai.com/18355/wm.nasa-global/sts-120/S05_Approach.asx')

One of the first major tasks is the station crew rotation. STS-120 Mission Specialist Daniel Tani will switch places with Anderson, who will be wrapping up a four-month tour of duty as an Expedition crew member. Tani is scheduled to stay on the station until he returns to Earth with STS-122 later this year.

The two crews will also begin joint operations to begin preparations for STS-120’s first spacewalk to continue the on-orbit construction of the station. A new station module, called Harmony, will be attached to the station and sets the stage for the arrival of new research laboratories.

Five spacewalks are scheduled during Discovery’s stay at the station to attach Harmony and to relocate the station’s P6 truss and solar arrays.

In addition to Harmony, Discovery is delivering supplies and equipment to the station.

For the latest news and information on the STS-120 mission, visit the main shuttle page.

+ Read More http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

+ View crew daily timelines http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/timelines/index.html + Read more about Expedition 16 http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition16/index.html + Read more about Expedition 15 http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition15/index.html