Expedition 13 backup crew member Michael Fincke relaxes outside of building 254 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The Expedition 13 prime and backup crews were at building 254 for the final check of the Soyuz spacecraft. Sunday, March 26, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Spectators try to grab the highest viewing point to watch the launch of the Soyuz spacecraft. The Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft launched with Expedition 13 crew members Pavel V. Vinogradov, Commander; Jeffrey N. Williams, Science Officer and Flight Engineer; and Marcos Pontes, Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member. They began their mission Wednesday evening launching from Baikonur, Kazakhstan at 8:30 a.m. (Kazakhstan time). Pontes will return home with Expedition 12 on April 8, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Astronaut Jeffrey N. Williams, Expedition 13 Science Officer and Flight Engineer, talks with members of the media after the crew's final check of the Soyuz at building 254 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Sunday, March 26, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Cosmonaut Pavel V. Vinogradov, Russias Federal Space Agency Expedition 13 International Space Station Commander, talks with members of the media after the crew's final check of the Soyuz at building 254 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Sunday, March 26, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Expedition 13 backup crew member Michael Fincke, left, Jeffrey N. Williams, Expedition 13 Science Officer and Flight Engineer, and Pavel V. Vinogradov, right, Commander, go over final review of Soyuz equipment at building 254 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan days before their launch to the International Space Station. Sunday, March 26, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Sergei A. Volkov, left, backup Soyuz crew member, Michael Fincke, Expedition 13 backup Flight Engineer and Science Officer, and Fyodor N. Yurchikhin, right, Expedition 13 backup Commander, take a break from training at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Saturday, March 25, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Technicians check suit pressure for Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov prior to launch onboard the Soyuz spacecraft from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Thursday, March 30. 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov climbing into the Soyuz capsule for his final check at building 254 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Sunday, March 26, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Expedition 13 Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams, center, talks with backup crew member Michael Fincke, left, during training at building 254 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Sunday, March 26, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Technicians check suit pressure for Expedition 13 Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams prior to launch onboard the Soyuz spacecraft from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Thursday, March 30. 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Expedition 13 Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams climbs into the Soyuz capsule for his final check at building 254 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Sunday, March 26, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov dons his pressure suit at building 254 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Thursday March 30, 2006 prior launch onboard the Soyuz spacecraft. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Backup Expedition 13 Commander Fyodor N. Yurchikhin, left, Michael Fincke, NASA backup Flight Engineer and Science Officer, and backup Soyuz crew member Sergei Volkov, right, take a break from training at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan Saturday, March 25, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Technicians check suit pressure for Expedition 13 Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams prior to launch onboard the Soyuz spacecraft from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Thursday, March 30. 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov does the traditional signing of a bedroom door at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan on Thursday, March 30, 2006 prior to the crew’s departure to building 254 and their suit up for launch onboard the Soyuz. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Technicians check suit pressure for Expedition 13 Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams prior to launch onboard the Soyuz spacecraft from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Thursday, March 30. 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Expedition 13 Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams dons his pressure suit at building 254 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Thursday, March 30, 2006 prior to launch onboard the Soyuz spacecraft. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov dons his pressure suit at building 254 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Thursday, March 30, 2006 prior to launch onboard the Soyuz spacecraft. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Expedition 13 Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams dons his pressure suit at building 254 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Thursday, March 30, 2006 prior to launch onboard the Soyuz spacecraft. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Expedition 13 Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams does the traditional signing of a bedroom door at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan on Thursday, March 30, 2006 prior to the crew’s departure to building 254 and their suit up for launch onboard the Soyuz. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Nikolai Zelenschikov, Deputy General Designer, RSA- Energia, listens to the Expedition 13 crew members talk about their final check of the Soyuz spacecraft at building 254 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Sunday, March 26, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov dons his pressure suit at building 254 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Thursday, March 30, 2006 prior launch onboard the Soyuz spacecraft. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Pavel V. Vinogradov, right, Russia’s Federal Space Agency Expedition 13 International Space Station Commander; Marcos Pontes, Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member; and Jeffrey N. Williams, left, Expedition 13 Science Officer and Flight Engineer, waves at media representatives during a tour of the Soyuz assembly building at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Sunday, March 26, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Marcos Pontes, left, Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member; Pavel V. Vinogradov, Russia’s Federal Space Agency Expedition 13 International Space Station Commander; and Jeffrey N. Williams, right, Expedition 13 Science Officer and Flight Engineer, talk with the media after the crew's final check of the Soyuz at building 254 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Sunday, March 26, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member Marcos Pontes, left, and Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov, and Expedition 13 Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams, right, don their pressure suits in building 254 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome prior to their launch from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Thursday, March 30, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Days before their launch to the International Space Station, Marcos Pontes (left), Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crewmember, Jeffrey N. Williams, Expedition 13 NASA International Space Station Science Officer and Flight Engineer, and Pavel V. Vinogradov, Expedition 13 Commander, take a break from their training at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Saturday, March 25, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Marcos Pontes, left, Brazilian Space Agency’s Soyuz crew member, Jeffrey N. Williams, Expedition 13 NASA International Space Station Science Officer and Flight Engineer, and Pavel V. Vinogradov, right, Expedition 13 commander, take a break from their training at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Saturday, March 25, 2006, days before their launch on a Soyuz spacecraft. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Marcos Pontes, left, Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member; Pavel V. Vinogradov, Russias Federal Space Agency Expedition 13 International Space Station Commander; and Jeffrey N. Williams, right, Expedition 13 Science Officer and Flight Engineer, talk with engineers after the crew's final check of the Soyuz at building 254 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan days before launch to the International Space Station. Sunday, March 26, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member Marcos Pontes, left, and Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov point out friends and family watching them during the pressure checks on their suits. The two will be launched onboard the Soyuz spacecraft with Expedition 13 Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Thursday, March 30, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member Marcos Pontes, left, Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov, and Expedition 13 Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams, right, don their pressure suits in building 254 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome prior to their launch from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Thursday, March 30, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Marcos Pontes, left, Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member; Pavel V. Vinogradov, Russias Federal Space Agency Expedition 13 International Space Station Commander; and Jeffrey N. Williams, right, Expedition 13 Science Officer and Flight Engineer, talk with engineers after the crew's final check of the Soyuz at building 254 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan days before launch to the International Space Station. Sunday, March 26, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-8 capsule was mated Monday, March 27, 2006, to its booster in preparation for the launch on March 30, 2006 carrying Expedition 13 crew members, Jeffrey N. Williams, Science Officer and Flight Engineer; Pavel V. Vinogradov, Russia’s Federal Space Agency International Space Station Commander; and Marcos Pontes, Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member. Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Photo Credit: (NASA/Victor Zelentsov)
Workers atop the Soyuz work stand await the International Space Station Expedition 13 crew members, Jeffrey N. Williams, NASA International Space Station Science Officer and Flight Engineer; Pavel V. Vinogradov, Commander; and Marcos Pontes, Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member. The crew members did their final check of the Soyuz at building 254 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Sunday, March 26, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-8 capsule was mated Monday, March 27, 2006, to its booster in preparation for the launch on March 30, 2006 carrying Expedition 13 crew members, Jeffrey N. Williams, Science Officer and Flight Engineer; Pavel V. Vinogradov, Russia’s Federal Space Agency International Space Station Commander; and Marcos Pontes, Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member. Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Photo Credit: (NASA/Victor Zelentsov)
The Soyuz TMA-8 capsule was mated Monday, March 27, 2006, to its booster in preparation for the launch on March 30, 2006 carrying Expedition 13 crew members, Jeffrey N. Williams, Science Officer and Flight Engineer; Pavel V. Vinogradov, Russia’s Federal Space Agency International Space Station Commander; and Marcos Pontes, Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member. Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Photo Credit: (NASA/Victor Zelentsov)
The Soyuz TMA-8 capsule was mated Monday, March 27, 2006, to its booster in preparation for the launch on March 30, 2006 carrying Expedition 13 crew members, Jeffrey N. Williams, Science Officer and Flight Engineer; Pavel V. Vinogradov, Russia’s Federal Space Agency International Space Station Commander; and Marcos Pontes, Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member. Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Photo Credit: (NASA/Victor Zelentsov)
The Soyuz TMA-8 capsule was mated Monday, March 27, 2006, to its booster in preparation for the launch on March 30, 2006 carrying Expedition 13 crew members, Jeffrey N. Williams, Science Officer and Flight Engineer; Pavel V. Vinogradov, Russia’s Federal Space Agency International Space Station Commander; and Marcos Pontes, Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member. Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Photo Credit: (NASA/Victor Zelentsov)
The Soyuz TMA-8 capsule was mated Monday, March 27, 2006, to its booster in preparation for the launch on March 30, 2006 carrying Expedition 13 crew members, Jeffrey N. Williams, Science Officer and Flight Engineer; Pavel V. Vinogradov, Russia’s Federal Space Agency International Space Station Commander; and Marcos Pontes, Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member. Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Photo Credit: (NASA/Victor Zelentsov)
The Soyuz TMA-8 capsule was mated Monday, March 27, 2006 to its booster in preparation for the launch on March 30, 2006 carrying Expedition 13 crew members, Jeffrey N. Williams, Science Officer and Flight Engineer; Pavel V. Vinogradov, Russia’s Federal Space Agency International Space Station Commander; and Marcos Pontes, Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member. Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Photo Credit: (NASA/Victor Zelentsov)
The Soyuz TMA-8 capsule was mated Monday, March 27, 2006, to its booster in preparation for the launch on March 30, 2006 carrying Expedition 13 crew members, Jeffrey N. Williams, Science Officer and Flight Engineer; Pavel V. Vinogradov, Russia’s Federal Space Agency International Space Station Commander; and Marcos Pontes, Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member. Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Photo Credit: (NASA/Victor Zelentsov)
The Soyuz TMA-8 capsule was mated Monday, March 27, 2006, to its booster in preparation for the launch on March 30, 2006 carrying Expedition 13 crew members, Jeffrey N. Williams, Science Officer and Flight Engineer; Pavel V. Vinogradov, Russia’s Federal Space Agency International Space Station Commander; and Marcos Pontes, Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member. Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Photo Credit: (NASA/Victor Zelentsov)
The Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft and its booster rolled out to the launch pad on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan for final pre-launch preparations. The Soyuz will blast off on March 30, 2006 to carry Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov and Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams to the International Space Station for a six-month mission. The spacecraft will also be carrying Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member Marcos Pontes, who will spend 10 days aboard the International Space Station under an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls) The Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft and its booster rolled out to the launch pad on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan for final pre-launch preparations. The Soyuz will blast off on March 30, 2006 to carry Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov and Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams to the International Space Station for a six-month mission. The spacecraft will also be carrying Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member Marcos Pontes, who will spend 10 days aboard the International Space Station under an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Jeffrey N. Williams, Expedition 13 Science Officer and Flight Engineer, waves at media representatives during a tour of the Soyuz assembly building at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Sunday, March 26, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft and its booster rolled out to the launch pad on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan for final pre-launch preparations. The Soyuz will blast off on March 30, 2006 to carry Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov and Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams to the International Space Station for a six-month mission. The spacecraft will also be carrying Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member Marcos Pontes, who will spend 10 days aboard the International Space Station under an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft and its booster rolled out to the launch pad on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan for final pre-launch preparations. The Soyuz will blast off on March 30, 2006 to carry Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov and Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams to the International Space Station for a six-month mission. The spacecraft will also be carrying Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member Marcos Pontes, who will spend 10 days aboard the International Space Station under an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft and its booster rolled out to the launch pad on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan for final pre-launch preparations. The Soyuz will blast off on March 30, 2006 to carry Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov and Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams to the International Space Station for a six-month mission. The spacecraft will also be carrying Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member Marcos Pontes, who will spend 10 days aboard the International Space Station under an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft and its booster rolled out to the launch pad on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan for final pre-launch preparations. The Soyuz will blast off on March 30, 2006 to carry Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov and Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams to the International Space Station for a six-month mission. The spacecraft will also be carrying Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member Marcos Pontes, who will spend 10 days aboard the International Space Station under an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft and its booster rolled out to the launch pad on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan for final pre-launch preparations. The Soyuz will blast off on March 30, 2006 to carry Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov and Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams to the International Space Station for a six-month mission. The spacecraft will also be carrying Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member Marcos Pontes, who will spend 10 days aboard the International Space Station under an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft and its booster rolled out to the launch pad on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan for final pre-launch preparations. The Soyuz will blast off on March 30, 2006 to carry Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov and Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams to the International Space Station for a six-month mission. The spacecraft will also be carrying Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member Marcos Pontes, who will spend 10 days aboard the International Space Station under an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft and its booster rolled out to the launch pad on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan for final pre-launch preparations. The Soyuz will blast off on March 30, 2006 to carry Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov and Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams to the International Space Station for a six-month mission. The spacecraft will also be carrying Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member Marcos Pontes, who will spend 10 days aboard the International Space Station under an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft and its booster rolled out to the launch pad on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan for final pre-launch preparations. The Soyuz will blast off on March 30, 2006 to carry Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov and Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams to the International Space Station for a six-month mission. The spacecraft will also be carrying Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member Marcos Pontes, who will spend 10 days aboard the International Space Station under an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft and its booster rolled out to the launch pad on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan for final pre-launch preparations. The Soyuz will blast off on March 30, 2006 to carry Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov and Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams to the International Space Station for a six-month mission. The spacecraft will also be carrying Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member Marcos Pontes, who will spend 10 days aboard the International Space Station under an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft and its booster rolled out to the launch pad on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan for final pre-launch preparations. The Soyuz will blast off on March 30, 2006 to carry Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov and Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams to the International Space Station for a six-month mission. The spacecraft will also be carrying Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member Marcos Pontes, who will spend 10 days aboard the International Space Station under an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov and Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams began their mission Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. EST, (Thursday, March 30, 2006, 8:30 a.m. Kazakhstan time). They launched aboard a Soyuz TMA-8 rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Joining them for several days as a Soyuz crew member before returning home with the Expedition 12 crew is Marcos Pontes, Brazilian Space Agency. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov and Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams began their mission Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. EST, (Thursday, March 30, 2006, 8:30 a.m. Kazakhstan time). They launched aboard a Soyuz TMA-8 rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Joining them for several days as a Soyuz crew member before returning home with the Expedition 12 crew is Marcos Pontes, Brazilian Space Agency. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov and Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams began their mission Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. EST, (Thursday, March 30, 2006, 8:30 a.m. Kazakhstan time). They launched aboard a Soyuz TMA-8 rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Joining them for several days as a Soyuz crew member before returning home with the Expedition 12 crew is Marcos Pontes, Brazilian Space Agency. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov and Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams began their mission Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. EST, (Thursday, March 30, 2006, 8:30 a.m. Kazakhstan time). They launched aboard a Soyuz TMA-8 rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Joining them for several days as a Soyuz crew member before returning home with the Expedition 12 crew is Marcos Pontes, Brazilian Space Agency. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Jeffrey N. Williams, Expedition 13 Science Officer and Flight Engineer, talking with Michael Baker of NASA after the crew's final check of the Soyuz at building 254 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Sunday, March 26, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Expedition 13 backup crew members, Sergei Volkov, left, Russia’s Federal Space Agency Soyuz crew member; Fyodor N. Yurchikhin, Russia’s Federal Space Agency Commander; and Michael Fincke, right, Science Officer and Flight Engineer, during a tour of the Soyuz launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Sunday, March 26, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-8 rocket launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan on Wednesday, March 29, 2006 at 9:30 p.m. EST, (Thursday, March 30, 2006, 8:30 a.m. Kazakhstan time). Aboard the spacecraft are Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov, Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams, and Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member Marcos Pontes. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Marcos Pontes, left, Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member; Michael Fincke, backup crew member; Jeffrey N. Williams, Expedition 13 Science Officer and Flight Engineer; and Pavel V. Vinogradov, right, Commander, train at building 254 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan days before launch to the International Space Station. Sunday, March 26, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-8 rocket launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan on Wednesday, March 29, 2006 at 9:30 p.m. EST, (Thursday, March 30, 2006, 8:30 a.m. Kazakhstan time). Aboard the spacecraft are Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov, Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams, and Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member Marcos Pontes. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Marcos Pontes, left, Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member, and Expedition 13 crew members, Pavel V. Vinogradov, Commander, and Jeffrey N. Williams, Science Officer and Flight Engineer, right, wave goodbye to friends and family at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan on Thursday, March 30, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-8 rocket launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan on Wednesday, March 29, 2006 at 9:30 p.m. EST, (Thursday, March 30, 2006, 8:30 a.m. Kazakhstan time). Aboard the spacecraft are Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov, Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams, and Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member Marcos Pontes. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
NASA Flight Engineer and Science Officer Jeffrey N. Williams, left, Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov, and Brazilian Space Agency’s Soyuz crewmember Marcos Pontes, right, take a break from their training at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Saturday, March 25, 2006, days before their launch on a Soyuz spacecraft. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Expedition 13 prime crew members wave goodbye to the cameras at the launch pad. Jeffrey N. Williams, top, Science Officer and Flight Engineer; Marcos Pontes, Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member; and Pavel V. Vinogradov, bottom, Commander. Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Thursday, March 30, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft and its booster rolled out to the launch pad on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan for final pre-launch preparations. The Soyuz will blast off on March 30, 2006 to carry Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov and Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams to the International Space Station for a six-month mission. The spacecraft will also be carrying Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member Marcos Pontes, who will spend 10 days aboard the International Space Station under an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft and its booster rolled out to the launch pad on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan for final pre-launch preparations. The Soyuz will blast off on March 30, 2006 to carry Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov and Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams to the International Space Station for a six-month mission. The spacecraft will also be carrying Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member Marcos Pontes, who will spend 10 days aboard the International Space Station under an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft and its booster rolled out to the launch pad on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan for final pre-launch preparations. The Soyuz will blast off on March 30, 2006 to carry Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov and Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams to the International Space Station for a six-month mission. The spacecraft will also be carrying Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member Marcos Pontes, who will spend 10 days aboard the International Space Station under an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft and its booster rolled out to the launch pad on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan for final pre-launch preparations. The Soyuz will blast off on March 30, 2006 to carry Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov and Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams to the International Space Station for a six-month mission. The spacecraft will also be carrying Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member Marcos Pontes, who will spend 10 days aboard the International Space Station under an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Prime and backup crew members for the Expedition 13 mission talk with officials at building 254 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome during their final check of the Soyuz spacecraft. Backup crew members, left to right, Fyodor N. Yurchikhin, Commander; Michael Fincke, NASA International Space Station Science Officer and Flight Engineer; and prime crew members Jeffrey N. Williams, NASA International Space Station Science Officer and Flight Engineer; Pavel V. Vinogradov, Commander; and Marcos Pontes, Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member. Sunday, March 26, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft and its booster rolled out to the launch pad on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan for final pre-launch preparations. The Soyuz will blast off on March 30, 2006 to carry Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov and Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams to the International Space Station for a six-month mission. The spacecraft will also be carrying Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member Marcos Pontes, who will spend 10 days aboard the International Space Station under an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft and its booster rolled out to the launch pad on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan for final pre-launch preparations. The Soyuz will blast off on March 30, 2006 to carry Expedition 13 Commander Pavel V. Vinogradov and Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams to the International Space Station for a six-month mission. The spacecraft will also be carrying Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member Marcos Pontes, who will spend 10 days aboard the International Space Station under an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft arrives at the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Friday, Oct. 10, 2008 for launch Oct. 12 to carry Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke, Flight Engineer Yury V. Lonchakov and American Spaceflight Participant Richard Garriott to the International Space Station. The three crew members will dock their Soyuz to the International Space Station on Oct. 14. Fincke and Lonchakov will spend six months on the station, while Garriott will return to Earth Oct. 24, 2008 with two of the Expedition 17 crewmembers currently on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft, carrying Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke, Flight Engineer Yury V. Lonchakov and American Spaceflight Participant Richard Garriott, launches, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The three crew members are scheduled to dock with the International Space Station on Oct. 14. Fincke and Lonchakov will spend six months on the station, while Garriott will return to Earth Oct. 24, 2008 with two of the Expedition 17 crewmembers currently on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft, carrying Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke, Flight Engineer Yury V. Lonchakov and American Spaceflight Participant Richard Garriott, launches, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The three crew members are scheduled to dock with the International Space Station on Oct. 14. Fincke and Lonchakov will spend six months on the station, while Garriott will return to Earth Oct. 24, 2008 with two of the Expedition 17 crewmembers currently on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft is transported by railcar to its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Friday, Oct. 10, 2008 for launch Oct. 12 to carry Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke, Flight Engineer Yury V. Lonchakov and American Spaceflight Participant Richard Garriott to the International Space Station. The three crew members will dock their Soyuz to the International Space Station on Oct. 14. Fincke and Lonchakov will spend six months on the station, while Garriott will return to Earth Oct. 24, 2008 with two of the Expedition 17 crewmembers currently on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft arrives at the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Friday, Oct. 10, 2008 for launch Oct. 12 to carry Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke, Flight Engineer Yury V. Lonchakov and American Spaceflight Participant Richard Garriott to the International Space Station. The three crew members will dock their Soyuz to the International Space Station on Oct. 14. Fincke and Lonchakov will spend six months on the station, while Garriott will return to Earth Oct. 24, 2008 with two of the Expedition 17 crewmembers currently on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft is transported by railcar to its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Friday, Oct. 10, 2008 for launch Oct. 12 to carry Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke, Flight Engineer Yury V. Lonchakov and American Spaceflight Participant Richard Garriott to the International Space Station. The three crew members will dock their Soyuz to the International Space Station on Oct. 14. Fincke and Lonchakov will spend six months on the station, while Garriott will return to Earth Oct. 24, 2008 with two of the Expedition 17 crewmembers currently on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft, carrying Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke, Flight Engineer Yury V. Lonchakov and American Spaceflight Participant Richard Garriott, launches, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The three crew members are scheduled to dock with the International Space Station on Oct. 14. Fincke and Lonchakov will spend six months on the station, while Garriott will return to Earth Oct. 24, 2008 with two of the Expedition 17 crewmembers currently on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft, carrying Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke, Flight Engineer Yury V. Lonchakov and American Spaceflight Participant Richard Garriott, launches, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The three crew members are scheduled to dock with the International Space Station on Oct. 14. Fincke and Lonchakov will spend six months on the station, while Garriott will return to Earth Oct. 24, 2008 with two of the Expedition 17 crewmembers currently on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft, carrying Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke, Flight Engineer Yury V. Lonchakov and American Spaceflight Participant Richard Garriott, launches, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The three crew members are scheduled to dock with the International Space Station on Oct. 14. Fincke and Lonchakov will spend six months on the station, while Garriott will return to Earth Oct. 24, 2008 with two of the Expedition 17 crewmembers currently on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft is transported by railcar to its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Friday, Oct. 10, 2008. Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke, Flight Engineer Yuri V. Lonchakov and American spaceflight participant Richard Garriott will launch October 12 and dock with the International Space Station October 14. Fincke and Lonchakov will spend six months on the station, while Garriott will return to Earth after 10 days with the Expedition 17 crew members currently on the ISS. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft is transported by railcar to its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Friday, Oct. 10, 2008. Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke, Flight Engineer Yuri V. Lonchakov and American spaceflight participant Richard Garriott will launch October 12 and dock with the International Space Station October 14. Fincke and Lonchakov will spend six months on the station, while Garriott will return to Earth after 10 days with the Expedition 17 crew members currently on the ISS. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft is transported by railcar to its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Friday, Oct. 10, 2008. Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke, Flight Engineer Yuri V. Lonchakov and American spaceflight participant Richard Garriott will launch October 12 and dock with the International Space Station October 14. Fincke and Lonchakov will spend six months on the station, while Garriott will return to Earth after 10 days with the Expedition 17 crew members currently on the ISS. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft is transported by railcar to its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Friday, Oct. 10, 2008. Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke, Flight Engineer Yuri V. Lonchakov and American spaceflight participant Richard Garriott will launch October 12 and dock with the International Space Station October 14. Fincke and Lonchakov will spend six months on the station, while Garriott will return to Earth after 10 days with the Expedition 17 crew members currently on the ISS. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft is transported by railcar to its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Friday, Oct. 10, 2008. Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke, Flight Engineer Yuri V. Lonchakov and American spaceflight participant Richard Garriott will launch October 12 and dock with the International Space Station October 14. Fincke and Lonchakov will spend six months on the station, while Garriott will return to Earth after 10 days with the Expedition 17 crew members currently on the ISS. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft is transported by railcar to its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Friday, Oct. 10, 2008. Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke, Flight Engineer Yuri V. Lonchakov and American spaceflight participant Richard Garriott will launch October 12 and dock with the International Space Station October 14. Fincke and Lonchakov will spend six months on the station, while Garriott will return to Earth after 10 days with the Expedition 17 crew members currently on the ISS. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft is transported by railcar to its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Friday, Oct. 10, 2008. Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke, Flight Engineer Yuri V. Lonchakov and American spaceflight participant Richard Garriott will launch October 12 and dock with the International Space Station October 14. Fincke and Lonchakov will spend six months on the station, while Garriott will return to Earth after 10 days with the Expedition 17 crew members currently on the ISS. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft is transported by railcar to its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Friday, Oct. 10, 2008. Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke, Flight Engineer Yuri V. Lonchakov and American spaceflight participant Richard Garriott will launch October 12 and dock with the International Space Station October 14. Fincke and Lonchakov will spend six months on the station, while Garriott will return to Earth after 10 days with the Expedition 17 crew members currently on the ISS. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft is transported by railcar to its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Friday, Oct. 10, 2008. Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke, Flight Engineer Yuri V. Lonchakov and American spaceflight participant Richard Garriott will launch October 12 and dock with the International Space Station October 14. Fincke and Lonchakov will spend six months on the station, while Garriott will return to Earth after 10 days with the Expedition 17 crew members currently on the ISS. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Prime and backup crew members for the Expedition 13 mission talk with officials at building 254 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome during their final check of the Soyuz spacecraft. Backup crew members, left to right, Sergei Volkov, Fyodor N. Yurchikhin, Commander; Michael Fincke, NASA International Space Station Science Officer and Flight Engineer; and prime crew members Jeffrey N. Williams, NASA International Space Station Science Officer and Flight Engineer; Pavel V. Vinogradov, Commander; and Marcos Pontes, Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member. Sunday, March 26, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft launches carrying Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke, Flight Engineer Yuri V. Lonchakov and American spaceflight participant Richard Garriott, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The three crew members are scheduled to dock with the International Space Station on Oct. 14. Fincke and Lonchakov will spend six months on the station, while Garriott will return to Earth Oct. 24 with two of the Expedition 17 crew members currently on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft launches carrying Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke, Flight Engineer Yuri V. Lonchakov and American spaceflight participant Richard Garriott, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The three crew members are scheduled to dock with the International Space Station on Oct. 14. Fincke and Lonchakov will spend six months on the station, while Garriott will return to Earth Oct. 24 with two of the Expedition 17 crew members currently on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft launches carrying Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke, Flight Engineer Yuri V. Lonchakov and American spaceflight participant Richard Garriott, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The three crew members are scheduled to dock with the International Space Station on Oct. 14. Fincke and Lonchakov will spend six months on the station, while Garriott will return to Earth Oct. 24 with two of the Expedition 17 crew members currently on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Prime and backup crew members for the upcoming mission to the International Space Station wave at the camera at Baikonur Cosmodrome during the final pressure checks of their suits. Backup crew: Sergei Volkov, standing left, Russia’s Federal Space Agency Soyuz crew member; Fyodor N. Yurchikhin, Commander; and Edward M. (Mike) Fincke, standing right, Science Officer and Flight Engineer. Prime crew: Marcos Pontes, seated left, Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member; Expedition 13 crew members Pavel V. Vinogradov, Commander, and Jeffrey N. Williams, seated right, Science Officer and Flight Engineer. Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Thursday, March 30, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft is transported by railcar to its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Friday, Oct. 10, 2008. Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke, Flight Engineer Yuri V. Lonchakov and American spaceflight participant Richard Garriott will launch October 12 and dock with the International Space Station October 14. Fincke and Lonchakov will spend six months on the station, while Garriott will return to Earth after 10 days with the Expedition 17 crew members currently on the ISS. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft arrives at the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Friday, Oct. 10, 2008. The Soyuz is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station Oct. 12 with Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke, Flight Engineer Yuri V. Lonchakov and American spaceflight participant Richard Garriott. The three crew members will dock their Soyuz to the International Space Station on Oct. 14. Fincke and Lonchakov will spend six months on the station, while Garriott will return to Earth Oct. 24 with two of the Expedition 17 crew members currently on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Russian security personnel walk the railroad line ahead of the Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft as it is transported by railcar to its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Friday, Oct. 10, 2008. The Soyuz is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station Oct. 12 with Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke, Flight Engineer Yuri V. Lonchakov and American spaceflight participant Richard Garriott. The three crew members will dock their Soyuz to the International Space Station on Oct. 14. Fincke and Lonchakov will spend six months on the station, while Garriott will return to Earth Oct. 24 with two of the Expedition 17 crew members currently on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft arrives at the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Friday, Oct. 10, 2008. The Soyuz is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station Oct. 12 with Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke, Flight Engineer Yuri V. Lonchakov and American spaceflight participant Richard Garriott. The three crew members will dock their Soyuz to the International Space Station on Oct. 14. Fincke and Lonchakov will spend six months on the station, while Garriott will return to Earth Oct. 24 with two of the Expedition 17 crew members currently on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)