Expedition 20 Crew Welcomes Shuttle Crew Aboard Station

(NASA) – Expedition 20 Commander Gennady Padalka and flight engineers Michael Barratt, Tim Kopra, Roman Romanenko, Robert Thirsk and Frank De Winne welcomed the seven-member STS-128 crew aboard the station at 10:33 p.m. EDT. The STS-128 crew arrived at the station when space shuttle Discovery docked at 8:54 p.m.

After hatch opening and a routine safety briefing, the two crews started joint operations. For the second time in history, thirteen people will work together on one spacecraft for eight days.

The Expedition 20 crew welcomes the seven-member STS-128 crew aboard the station. Credit: NASA TV

Arriving aboard Discovery is the newest Expedition 20 crew member, Nicole Stott, who switched places with station crew member Tim Kopra.

Kopra is scheduled to return aboard Discovery Sept. 10 after 57 days in space. Stott will handle flight engineer duties aboard the station until her return home aboard Atlantis following the STS-129 mission in November.