Space station gets new research module

[November 13, 2009]  MOSCOW (AP) -- A cargo ship has delivered a Russian research module to the International Space Station.

Russia's space agency says the spacecraft carrying the Poisk (PAW'-eesk) module docked with the orbital station Thursday after a two-day trip from Earth.

Poisk is Russian for "search." The space agency, Roskosmos, said the small module will be used for scientific research and experiments once it is secured and linked to the station with communications cables. That will require a space walk, scheduled for January.

The Russian-made module can also serve as an additional docking port.

The decade-old international space station has expanded and now has a crew of six. The current crew includes two Russians, two Americans, a Canadian and a Belgian.

[Associated Press]

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