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MISSION CONTROL CENTER (Moscow Region), April 1 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian spacecraft with the latest crew to the world's sole civilian orbital station on board successfully docked with the ISS at 8.19 a.m. Moscow time (4.19 a.m. GMT), Mission Control near Moscow said Saturday.
The Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft took Russian astronaut Pavel Vinogradov, U.S. astronaut Jeffrey Williams, and Brazil's first man in space, Marcos Pontes, to the International Space Station.
The program of the new ISS mission includes a plasma crystal experiment, and technological, medical, and biological experiments. Astronauts will also make one spacewalk under the Russian program.
Marcos Pontes will return to Earth after his short program with the outgoing ISS crew.
Later in the day Marcos Pontes will have his first link-up with Brazil, assisted by RIA Novosti. He is scheduled to have several interviews which will be beamed directly to his home country in real time.
Another hookup is set for April 4, while on April 5, the world's first Brazilian astronaut will appear in a live TV show with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The ISS current crew, Russia's Valery Tokarev and William McArthur of the U.S., will round off their mission, which began in October 2005, and return to Earth on April 9, when the Soyuz undocks from the station at 0.15 a.m. Moscow time (8.15 p.m. GMT). The landing is expected in Kazakhstan, Central Asia, at 3.45 a.m. Moscow time (11.45 p.m. GMT).
