![\"The](\"https:\/\/blogs.nasa.gov\/spacestation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/240\/2020\/11\/crew_welcome_ceremony.jpg\")
<\/a>The Expedition 64<\/a> crew expanded to seven members overnight after four Commercial Crew<\/a> astronauts docked the SpaceX Crew Dragon to the International Space Station<\/a>. Now two cosmonauts are gearing up for a spacewalk set to start Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. EST.<\/p>\n The newest station crew members are asleep today following a 27-hour-and-half trip from NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center to the Harmony module<\/a>\u2019s forward-facing port. Commander Michael Hopkins<\/a> and Pilot Victor Glover<\/a>, alongside Mission Specialists Shannon Walker<\/a> and Soichi Noguchi<\/a>, docked on Monday at 11:01 p.m. The hatches were opened two hours later, and the quartet entered the station to begin a six-month research mission.<\/p>\n All seven crewmembers gathered in the Harmony module for a welcoming ceremony and congratulations from NASA and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) mission officials. Afterward, safety briefings were given to the new quartet showing potential lab hazards, emergency equipment locations and escape routes.<\/p>\n This is the first long-duration crew comprised of seven members in space station history. The station has hosted up to 13 visitors before but only for a few days at a time during crew swap operations.<\/p>\n Today, NASA Flight Engineer Kate Rubins<\/a> helped Commander Sergey Ryzhikov<\/a> and Flight Engineer Sergey Kud-Sverchkov<\/a> get ready for their first spacewalk. The Russian duo will spend about five-and-a-half hours servicing external station hardware and science experiments. Their prime task will be to prepare the station\u2019s Russian segment for the new Nauka mini-research module due to arrive in 2021.<\/p>\n NASA TV coverage<\/a> of the spacewalk will begin Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. This will be the first spacewalk for the duo and the first spacewalk staged from the Poisk module<\/a>. The Pirs docking compartment<\/a> is being decommissioned to make room for the Nauka module.<\/p>\n Get The Details…<\/a><\/p>\n Mark Garcia <\/p>\n Powered by WPeMatico<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Expedition 64 crew expanded to seven members overnight after four Commercial Crew astronauts docked the SpaceX Crew Dragon to the International Space Station. Now two cosmonauts are gearing up for a spacewalk set to start Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. EST. The newest station crew members are asleep today following a 27-hour-and-half trip from NASA\u2019s \u2026 Continue reading