Space Station Crew Sets up Network, Preps for Progress Undocking

The Expedition 15 crew members aboard the International Space Station this week installed a new local area network (LAN) and prepared for Tuesday’s undocking of a Progress cargo craft.

Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov installed the docking mechanism for the ISS Progress 25 cargo craft Friday. The Progress will undock from the station on Sept. 18 and burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Throughout the week the crew stowed unneeded hardware and trash in the Progress for disposal.

Flight Engineer Clay Anderson set up the new Integrated Station LAN (ISL) network system over three days this week. Anderson installed network cables, connected the router and reviewed procedures for transitioning to the new system on Saturday.

The ISL provides network connections between the Destiny lab, the Unity node, the Quest airlock and the service module. It eliminates drag-through cables in hatches, is up to ten times faster than the current LAN and has provisions for future expansion.

Anderson took a break from his tasks late Friday for an amateur radio session with students at Westbrook Intermediate School in Friendswood, Texas.