Space Station Crew Launches from Birthplace of Human Spaceflight

WASHINGTON -- One week shy of the 50th anniversary of the first human
spaceflight, NASA astronaut Ron Garan and Russian cosmonauts Andrey
Borisenko and Alexander Samokutyaev launched to the International
Space Station at 6:18 p.m. EDT Monday (4:18 a.m. local time, April 5)
from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The Soyuz rocket that lifted Garan, Borisenko and Samokutyaev into
orbit was decorated with Yuri Gagarin's name. The mission lifted off
from the same launch pad used April 12, 1961, when Gagarin became the
first human to journey into space.

The crew is scheduled to dock its Soyuz TMA-21 spacecraft to the
station's Poisk port at 7:18 p.m. on Wednesday, April 6. The crew
members will join Expedition 27 Commander Dmitry Kondratyev and
Flight Engineers Cady Coleman of NASA and Paolo Nespoli of the
European Space Agency, who have been aboard the orbiting laboratory
since December 2010.

On Wednesday, NASA Television will broadcast live coverage of the
docking beginning at 6:45 p.m. Coverage of the hatch opening and a
welcoming ceremony aboard the station will begin at 8:45 p.m. For
NASA TV streaming video, schedule and downlink information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

During Expedition 27, the six-person crew will continue scientific
research, perform station maintenance and welcome two visiting
vehicles. In addition to space shuttle Endeavour's planned visit
during the STS-134 mission, the Expedition 27 crew is expecting the
arrival of the 42nd Russian Progress cargo ship near the end of April.

Kondratyev, Coleman and Nespoli are scheduled to depart the station May 16.

NASA astronaut Mike Fossum, Russian cosmonaut Sergei Volkov and Japan
Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Satoshi Furukawa are scheduled
to join Garan, Borisenko and Samokutyaev aboard the station to
complete the Expedition 28 crew. Their launch is set for May 30.

For updates about the space station and Expedition 27/28 crew members, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

To view the new official International Space Station page on Facebook
and follow crew member posts from space, visit:

http://www.facebook.com/ISS

To follow Twitter updates from Expedition 27/28 crew member Garan, visit:

http://twitter.com/Astro_Ron

Source: NASA

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