Orbital operations

摘要

For Expedition 12 Commander and NASA Science Officer William McArthur and Flight Engineer Valeri Tokarev, both veterans of short Space Shuttle flights, their six month mission on the ISS began with the process of familiarisation with the Station after the more formal handover period with the departing Expedition 11 crew of Sergei Krikalev and John Phillips. NASA said that, as the pair became "acquainted with their new microgravity home and laboratory, they did some routine maintenance work, exercised and conducted early experiment work". The men also reviewed emergency procedures in the event of sudden evacuation of the Station, swapped an 800A battery block in the Zarya module on 13 October and rearranged some stowage items in the Unity node.