Astonauts are testing for air pressure leaks in the hatches separating International Space Station's newly arrived crew from the one that is preparing for departure. Over the next 10 days, Expedition 17 crew members Sergei Volkov and Oleg Kononenko will hand over operation of the station to Expedition 18 members Michael Finke and Yury Lonchakov.
Finke, the expedition's 41-year-old commander, is making his second long stay on station. He spent 186 days on the orbiting outpost during Expedition 9 four years ago.
Lonchakov, 43, is making his third trip to the station. Together with Susan Magnus, who is scheduled to arrive on shuttle Endeavour in about a month, the crew will be responsible for outfitting the station to support six long-term residents.
Meanwhile, stand by for more live coverage of the welcoming ceremony between the old and new crews, expected around 6 a.m. The station occupants will receive congratulatory calls from VIPs.
Click on the NASA TV box on the right of the screen to launch a viewer streaming live coverage of the events.
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