April 2, 2010

John Yembrick Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 john yembrick-1@nasa gov

Kelly Humphries Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 kelly o humphries@nasa gov

RELEASE: 10-073

CREW LIFTS OFF FROM KAZAKHSTAN TO JOIN CREWMATES ABOARD THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

HOUSTON -- NASA astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson and Russian cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov and Mikhail Kornienko safely launched to the International Space Station aboard a Soyuz spacecraft on Friday Liftoff occurred at 12:04 a m EDT from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan

The three Soyuz crew members are scheduled to dock with their new home at 1:26 a m Sunday Aboard the orbiting laboratory they will join Oleg Kotov, a Russian cosmonaut and station commander, T J Creamer, a NASA astronaut and flight engineer, and Soichi Noguchi, a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut and flight engineer The expanded Expedition 23 crew will continue science investigations and support two space shuttle missions to the station

Kotov, Creamer and Noguchi launched to the station on Dec 21, 2009 They are scheduled to return to Earth on June 2 Before their departure, Kotov will hand over command of the station to Skvortsov for Expedition 24 In June, NASA astronauts Doug Wheelock and Shannon Walker, and Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin will join Skvortsov, Caldwell Dyson and Kornienko in orbit to complete the Expedition 24 crew

On April 4, coverage of the docking of Skvortsov, Caldwell Dyson and Kornienko will begin on NASA Television at 1 a m NASA TV will return at 3 a m for coverage of the hatches opening and the welcoming ceremony between the two crews, which will take place at about 3:45 a m For NASA TV streaming video, schedule and downlink information, visit:

http://www nasa gov/ntv

To follow Twitter updates from Expedition 23 crew members Creamer and Noguchi, visit:

http://twitter com/NASA_Astronauts

For more information about the space station, visit:

http://www nasa gov/station

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