Space Station Expedition 7 Enjoys Light Duty Day

The Expedition 7 crewmembers had a day of light duty aboard the International Space Station so they could celebrate Russian Independence Day. Commander Yuri Malenchenko and NASA ISS Science Officer Ed Lu will return to a full schedule Friday.

The light schedule followed a busy Wednesday that saw the arrival of the Progress 11 cargo ship. The uncrewed vehicle delivered 2,404 kilograms (5,300 pounds) of supplies and equipment to the Station. Items delivered by the spacecraft included water, office supplies, clothes, food and replacement parts for systems in the U.S. and Russian segments.

This image was taken by Expedition 7 NASA ISS Science Officer Ed Lu from the U.S. Destiny Laboratory window. Lu noticed the object floating away from the Station and described it as a 5-centimeter long piece of metal. Station managers and flight controllers estimate that the mass of the object will cause it to de-orbit rapidly and will not cause damage to the Station. Engineers are analyzing the imagery to determine what the object is and where it might have originated. It is likely the object came from the Station because of its similar speed and orbit relative to the Station.