Williams, Suraev Await Three New Crew Members Aboard ISS

Expedition 22 Commander Jeff Williams and Flight Engineer Maxim Suraev are currently the sole residents on the International Space Station. Three new crew members are preparing to join them when the Soyuz TMA-17 launches on Dec. 20 from Baikonur Cosmodrome.

An international crew comprised of NASA astronaut T.J. Creamer, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kotov and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi will complete the Expedition 22 crew when they dock to the station on Dec. 22.

As the rest of Expedition 22 prepares for its launch to the station, the crew onboard the orbiting laboratory continues its normal science, maintenance and exercise activities.

Suraev finished refilling and recharging coolant pumps inside the Russian segment of the station. The cosmonaut also downlinked data from a plant experiment called PLANTS-2.

Wiliams also worked on a plants experiment called Advanced Plant Experiments on Orbit, or APEX. The commander inspected safety gear including a fire extinguisher and a portable breathing apparatus.

The crew members continue their exercise activities with two sessions a day to counteract the effects of microgravity during long-term stays in space. There are numerous exercise facilities in the station such as an exercise bicycle, a treadmill and an advanced resistive exercise device.