Expedition 19 Crew takes over on Space Station

A new crew took command of the international space station this afternoon during a traditional change of command ceremony, as the 19th long duration crew of three begins their six month stay in space.

Expedition 19 Commander Gennady Padalka of Russia, American astronaut Michael Barratt and Japanese flight engineer Koichi Wakata will set the stage as they await the second half of their crew in May to arrive - giving the station a crew compliment of six. A Russian Soyuz TMA 15 launch in late May will carry a crew of three to the station to join the new commander.

Space E-Mail: Charles Talks to Simonyi on Station

Current international space station resident Charles Simonyi answered my email question from space following his arrival aboard the station on Saturday, March 28:

Charles Atkeison: As a journalist for Spacelaunch News.com, I would like to ask: What will you focus on doing during your ten days in space. Also, do you have a special food diet you enjoyed on your last flight which you took measures in repeating the menu? God speed, Charles, and the Expedition 19 Crew.

I am focusing on the experiments and communicating the experience. Time really flies, and it is only now on the third day that we unstowed my food rations, it is scary how much stuff is there and how much food we . . .

Simonyi: I am focusing on the experiments and communicating the experience. Time really flies, and it is only now on the third day that we unstowed my food rations, it is scary how much stuff is there and how much food we have in general. There is such thing as too much food because some of it may expire before we have a chance of consuming it. I’ll convey your message to the others! Thank you.

Charles and the Expedition 18 crew of Michael Fincke and Russian cosmonaut Flight Engineer Yury Lonchakov will return to earth on April 8th.