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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. � Easter might be a time ofreflection, rest and egg hunts for most people around the world, but the turnedinto a space trade jam for astronauts headed for the International Space Station.
NASA is formulation to launchthe convey Discovery and 7 astronauts toward the hire prior to sunrisetomorrow, Easter Monday, on a moody to batch up the space hire withsupplies, new scholarship rigging and critical gangling parts. Liftoff is set for 6:21 a.m.EDT (1021 GMT) from a strand desk pad here at NASAs Kennedy Space Center.
Meanwhile, a RussianSoyuz booster arrived at the hire early this Easter Sunday sunrise todeliver 3 new astronauts to stick on an additional contingent already aboard the orbitinglaboratory. The Soyuz launched on Good Friday from Baikonur Cosmodrome inKazakhstan.
NASA engineers worked by the week end notwithstanding the Christian legal legal holiday in sequence to readyDiscovery for the sunrise launch in to orbit, that might be perceivable (weatherpermitting) to observers along the United States East Coast [howto watch the convey launch]. �
"Even though it is Easter Sunday, the only similar to anytypical...countdown timeline," pronounced NASA exam executive Pete Nickolenko. "All the standardactivities are only similar to they would be per that favoured timeline."
Even so, Nickolenko did indoctrinate his teams to stand in checkto have certain there were no report conflicts. There were none.
"Folks are really excited," Nickolenko said.
Up in space, the stationastronauts noted Easter with a customary video couple with desired ones,friends and space officials at Russias Mission Control core nearby Moscow.
"We are underneath a good sense of this moody and wehave a lot of emotions," Russian cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsovtold Mission Control. "And we would similar to to again contend "Happy Easter" toeverybody. Its a smashing holiday."
Skvortsov arrived at the hire to one side Russiancrewmate Mikhail Kornienko and American wanderer Tracy Caldwell Dyson of NASA,all of whom sent Easter wishes to their desired ones on Earth. But they were alsoeager to get to work.
"I additionally wish to contend "Happy Easter" to everybody,"Kornienko said. "We goal that tomorrow the convey will be launched and that onthe 7th of April, we goal that we"ll have a successful docking."
Russian space officials in Moscow pronounced that the spacestation astronauts did not have any Easter eggs or Kulich � a Russian breadtraditional eaten during Easter � with them in orbit. But they could celebratethe day in spirit, they said.
Space Shuttle Countdown Quiz What Is Passover? Rare Twilight Shuttle Launch on Monday Visible to U.S. East Coastis on condition that finish coverage ofDiscoverys STS131 mission to the International Space Station with ManagingEditor Tariq Malik in Cape Canaveral,Fla., and Staff Writer Clara Moskowitzbased in New York. Click here for convey missionupdates and a couple to NASA TV.
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