The focus for the International Space Station crew this week was the arrival of the Progress cargo spacecraft. Expedition 10 Commander Leroy Chiao and Flight Engineer Salizhan Sharipov spent some of the early part of the week preparing for the Wednesday docking of the unpiloted Russian cargo carrier, and much of yesterday and today unloading it.

The Progress docked at 3:10 p.m. EST, Wednesday with more than two-point-three tons of equipment and supplies, including propellant, oxygen and air, and water. This is the 17th Progress to go to the Station.

A 160-day supply of food is on the Progress, as well as spare parts and equipment for the Russian environmental control system and toilet. Cameras and telephoto lenses to photograph thermal protection tiles on the Space Shuttle Discovery during its Return to Flight mission in May were also delivered. The cargo includes a new heat exchanger for the U.S Quest airlock, which should allow resumption of U.S. spacewalks from the Station.

Early-week preparations involved Sharipov setting up and practicing with a manual docking system for use in the unlikely event of a problem with the automated docking system. It was not needed. The automated system functioned well.

Unloading activities included entering items of the cargo into the Inventory Management System, a computerized bar code system that keeps track of items aboard the Station.

In preparation for Progress activities, crew members shifted their sleep period later, getting their wakeup tone at about 6:30 a.m. EST instead of the standard 1 a.m. EST much of the week. They will return gradually to their usual schedule.

Chiao and Sharipov continued daily exercise sessions, did scheduled maintenance on Station systems and participated in several medical and other scientific experiments.

The crew talked with high school students in the Levelland, Texas, area on Monday. Late yesterday, Chiao radioed congratulations to Steve Fossett, who completed a three-day, non-stop, solo around-the-world flight without refueling. For comparison, Chiao and Sharipov circle the Earth more than 15 times a day, as they have for four months.

Information about crew activities on the Space Station, future launch dates and Station sighting opportunities is available on the Internet at:

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/

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