Astronaut Frank L. Culbertson, Expedition Three mission commander, wearing a Russian Sokol suit, is photographed in the Soyuz spacecraft that is docked to the International Space Station (ISS). This Soyuz return vehicle will be moved from the Earth-facing port of the Zarya module for the linkup to the new Pirs Docking Compartment. The move of the Soyuz will mark the first time the new Pirs, which arrived at the station September 17, 2001, will serve as a docking port. The Soyuz will be shifted to prepare for the arrival of a new Soyuz return craft, to be launched October 21, 2001 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Soyuz can serve as a crew return vehicle at the station for a maximum of about six months.


Size: 4189px × 2864px
Photo credit: © NG Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: ., astronaut, commander, culbertson, docked, earth-facing, expedition, frank, international, linkup, mission, module, moved, photographed, port, return, russian, sokol, soyuz, space, spacecraft, station, suit, vehicle, wearing, zarya