Kvant-2 arrived at station. Expedition 2 launch delayed

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Kvant-2 arrived
The first module, Kvant-2, has arrived at the station. Kvant-2 added storage room, 6 sleeping rooms and an airlock to the station. The expedition 1 crew is especially happy with the sleeping rooms. They add some privacy for the mission crews that are visiting the station. The first spacewalk in the Chronus Space Station Program (CSSP) is scheduled for April 22nd.

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Final preparations

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Servicing tower rolling away

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Ignition!

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Lift-off!

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leaving the Earth's surface

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Nice contrail

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ignition of the second stage, standing by for staging

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Good staging, Second stage looking good

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Good staging, Third stage looking good

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Kvant-2 successfully reached orbit!

Docking photo's are posted below

Expedition 2 delayed
The launch of Expedition 2 is delayed by 3 days. It was first scheduled to launch at April 29th but it will now reach for the skies on May 2nd. This is done not because of a technical problem but because the launch window is better. The exact launch time is 19:42 UTC. Expedition 2 will place a micro satellite in the same orbit as Chronus, monitor the arrival and departure of Progress-2 and monitor the arrival of the Kristall module.

Expedition 3 being prepared
While Expedition 2 isn't even started, United Space Alliance is busy preparing Expedition 3 for launch. The mission, which will be performed by 4 astronauts and the Orion spacecraft, is targeted for launch late May/early June. Expedition 3 will bring the PMA to the station as well as the Main RMS Arm (MRMS) and it will test the Draco eyes, which will be installed by Expedition 2. The Draco eyes are used to dock the Dragon spacecraft to the station, which is planned to be Expedition 4.

SNOFAS Postponed
the launch of SNOFAS-2 is postponed by 1 week. The original launch date was scheduled for April 16th but it is delayed because of some problems with the roll-out of the satellite to the Ariane 4 launcher.

New launch date for Albatross
Mission managers have picked a new launch date for Albatross, HASA's first mission to land on another planet. The Phoenix-like spacecraft, which will go to Mars, was Scheduled to launch earlier but because HASA needed more info first, The postponed it. The new launch date is scheduled for November.
 
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Approaching station, still far away though

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Getting close now

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Hard-dock! Kvant-2 reached the Chronus space station
 
Nice, MIR....I mean Chronus ;) is really taking shape! :thumbup:
 
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