Next Soyuz Space Station Crew Prepares For Launch

HOUSTON -- The next residents of the International Space Station are
making final preparations for a May 14 launch and NASA Television
will provide live coverage of launch and docking.

This week, NASA Flight Engineer Joseph Acaba and his two Russian
crewmates, Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Sergei
Revin, are completing their training, undergoing Soyuz spacecraft fit
checks and taking part in traditional ceremonies. Video file
documentation of the final preparations will be broadcast starting May 10.

Live NASA TV coverage of the Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft launch from the
Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan begins at 9 p.m. CDT on May 14 (May
15, Baikonur time), with launch scheduled for 10:01 p.m.

The trio will arrive at the station May 16, joining Expedition 31
Commander Oleg Kononenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Flight
Engineer Don Pettit of NASA and Flight Engineer André Kuipers of the
European Space Agency, who have been aboard since December 2011.
Padalka, Acaba and Revin will transition to the Expedition 32 crew in
July and return to Earth in mid-September.

NASA TV's scheduled coverage is as follows (all times Central):

Thursday, May 10
11 a.m. -- Video file of the Soyuz TMA-04M crew activities in
Baikonur.

Friday, May 11
11 a.m. -- Video file of Soyuz TMA-04M crew activities in Baikonur.

Sunday, May 13
11 a.m. -- Video file of Soyuz TMA-04M rocket mating and rollout to
the Baikonur launch pad.

Monday, May 14
11 a.m. -- Video file of the Soyuz TMA-04M final pre-launch crew news
conference and Russian State Commission meeting in Baikonur.
9 p.m. -- Soyuz TMA-04M launch coverage (launch scheduled at 10:01
p.m.), including video of the crew's pre-launch activities and launch
replays.

Tuesday, May 15
12 a.m. -- Video file of Soyuz TMA-04M pre-launch, launch video and
post-launch interviews.

Wednesday, May 16
11 p.m. -- Soyuz TMA-04M docking coverage (docking scheduled at 11:38
p.m.) followed by a post-docking news conference from Mission Control
in Korolev, Russia.

Thursday, May 17
2 a.m. -- Soyuz TMA-04M hatch opening and welcoming ceremony (hatch
opening scheduled at 2:20 a.m.).
4 a.m. -- Video file of Soyuz TMA-04M docking, hatch opening and
welcoming ceremony.

For NASA TV downlink, schedule updates and streaming video
information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information about the International Space Station and its
crew, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

Source:

---