April 5, 2010

Outer Space - There are three new Expedition 23 crew members aboard the International Space Station including former Cal State Fullerton sprinter and long jumper Tracy Caldwell Dyson.

Following the completion of leak checks, the hatches between the Soyuz TMA-18 spacecraft and the station were opened at 3:19 a.m. EDT Sunday. A welcome ceremony for the new arrivals followed.

The NASA astronaut and Russian cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov and Mikhail Kornienko lifted off aboard the Soyuz TMA-18 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan 12:04 a.m. Friday. The trio and the existing 3-man crew will be joined in a few days by the 7-person crew riding space shuttle Discovery, which was launched this morning.