A Supply Ship Docks with the International Space Station

Looking out a window of the International Space Station brings breathtaking views. Visible vistas include a vast and colorful Earth , a deep dark sky , and an occasional spaceship sent to visit the station. Visible early last month was a Soyuz TMA -12 spacecraft carrying not only supplies but also three newcomers. The three new astronauts were Expedition 17 commander Sergei Volkov , flight engineer Oleg Kononenko , and spaceflight participant So-yeon Yi . Yi returned to Earth a few days later, while Volkov and Konenenko are scheduled to return in a few months. The docking module pictured above involved the Pirs Docking Compartment . The Expedition 17 crew, including NASA flight engineer Gregory Chamitoff , will carry out repairs on the ISS , explore new methods of living in space, and conduct research in space including the effects of space radiation on vitamin molecules.