A View From Orbit
 Six
weeks into their six-month mission, the crewmembers of Expedition 13 took a few
minutes from their work aboard the International Space Station in June to
talk with StarDate writer/producer Damond Benningfield about life in orbit, the
view out the window, and preparations for the arrival of the next space shuttle.
Find out more about...
The Crew
Commander Pavel Vinogradov
 Veteran Russian cosmonaut Vinogradov is
no stranger to long stints in space. He spent 198 days in space in 1997-98
as a member of the Mir Expedition 24 crew. Vinogradov, who will turn 53 while
in orbit, joined the cosmonaut corps in 1992 after spending 15 years working
on software and other systems for Soviet aviation and space programs.
Science
Officer Jeffrey Williams
 A
veteran of missions in both space and the oceans, Navy Captain Williams is
an avid outdoorsman who has held ratings as a parachute jumpmaster and instructor.
The former naval test pilot flew aboard space shuttle Atlantis in May 2000
on a space station construction mission. He took his first spacewalk during
the mission. Two years later, he commanded an underwater research mission aboard “Aquarius,” a
station operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration off
the coast of Florida. He has been an astronaut since 1996.
 The Mission
Expedition 13 crew members are conducting a variety
of scientific experiments and maintenance chores while preparing for the resumption
of three-person operations in July. European astronaut Thomas Reiter will fly
to the station aboard space shuttle Discovery, which is making its second flight
since NASA resumed shuttle operations after the 2003 loss of Columbia. After
Reiter arrives, the crew will devote more time to scientific research, including
studies of how the human body reacts to long periods in space. Additional experiments
include materials processing and small satellites that will maneuver on their
own inside the station. The crew launched aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule on
Marcdh 29, 2006, and arrived at the station two days later. It is scheduled
to remain aboard until late September.
Learn More
Visit NASA's Space
Station and Expedition
13 websites to find out more.
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