Soyuz Tma 04 M Prep Continues For May 15 2012 Ride To Orbit From The Cosmodrome

At the Baikonur Cosmodrome preparations continue for the May 15, 2012 launch of "SOYUZ TMA-04-M" human transport spacecraft under the International Space Station program.

NASA astronaut Joe Acaba and Roscosmos cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Sergei Revin are scheduled to fly on Soyuz TMA-04M to replace Expedition 30 crewmates Anton Shkaplerov, Anatoli Ivanishin and Dan Burbank, landing April 30, 2012 aboard SOYUZ TMA-22.

THE ISS EXPEDITION 31 increment will begin with the undocking of Soyuz TMA-22. The Soyuz TMA 04-M crew of three will arrive about two weeks later to commence duties at the International Space Station.

The only means the International Space Station partners have to exchange crews on orbit is to utilize the Soyuz spacecraft, at least until the American commercial spacecraft are rated for human flight sometime over the next few years. Cargo and re-supply of the orbiting lab are operated by the Europeans, Japanese and the Russians with two new American cargo spacecraft being launched to the space station for the first time later this year.

Origin: ufos-and-aliens.blogspot.com