SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468

Preps Continue for Reboost, Upcoming Activities

iss014e16258 -- The Expedition 14 crew Image above: The Expedition 14 crew are pictured in the Destiny laboratory. From left are, Flight Engineer Suni Williams, Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin. Image credit: NASA

TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

The Progress 23 cargo craft will fire its engines Thursday to lift the International Space Station to a higher orbit. The reboost puts the station in the proper orbit when Expedition 15 arrives at the station to begin its increment in April. Two weeks later the crew will also relocate their Soyuz vehicle to another port allowing Expedition 15 to dock in their new Soyuz TMA-10.

The Expedition 15 crew launches from Russia on April 7 and will dock to the station on April 9. Expedition 14 will leave the station and return home in its Soyuz TMA-9 on April 20.

The Progress 23 cargo capsule is being loaded with trash and discarded items as the crew readies it to undock then burn up in Earth’s atmosphere March 27. The Progress 23 initially delivered gear and supplies for the crew, but its removal makes way for future deliveries in Progress vehicles.

The station crew is also readying Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 for relocation to the Unity Node’s Earth facing port during Expedition 15. Node 2, a U.S. module, will take its place at the end of the Destiny laboratory later this year during shuttle mission STS-120.