Padalka and Fincke arrived at the Station on 21 April 2004 aboard the Soyuz TMA-4 spacecraft with European Space Agency Astronaut André Kuipers. After more than a week of joint operations and handover activities, Padalka and Fincke officially took command of the Station on 29 April when Expedition 8 Commander Michael Foale and Flight Engineer Alexander Kaleri left the Station. This mission was the site for the Advanced Diagnostic Ultrasound in Microgravity Project. Expedition 8 and Kuipers returned to Earth that same day aboard the Soyuz TMA-3 spacecraft. Kuipers' 11-day mission to the ISS was part of a commercial agreement between ESA and the Federal Space Agency of Russia.
Spacewalks
The Expedition 9 crew conducted four spacewalks during its stay at the International Space Station. The four spacewalks were devoted to ISS maintenance and assembly. All four were based out of the Pirs Docking Compartment and used Russian Orlan spacesuits. Before these four extravehicular activities, 52 spacewalks had been performed at the ISS, with 27 based out of the Station. Gennady Padalka : red stripes Mike Fincke : blue stripes Spacewalk 1 Gennady Padalka, Mike Fincke Time: 14 minutes, 22 seconds Start time: 4:56 p.m. CDT 24 June 2004 End time: 5:10 p.m. CDT 24 June 2004 The spacewalk was cut short due to a pressure problem in Fincke's prime oxygen tank in his spacesuit. Mission managers decided to reschedule the spacewalk for 30 June. Spacewalk 2 Gennady Padalka, Mike Fincke Time: 5 hours, 40 minutes Start time: 4:19 p.m. CDT 29 June 2004 End time: 9:59 p.m. CDT 29 June 2004 Padalka and Fincke replaced a Remote Power Controller that failed in late April, causing a loss of power in Control Moment Gyroscope No. 2. A failed Remote Power Controller Module was responsible for the temporary loss of CMG 2 in April. The gyroscope is one of four that control the ISS' orientation. Spacewalk 3 Gennady Padalka, Mike Fincke Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes Start time: 1:58 a.m. CDT 3 August 2004 End time: 6:28 a.m. CDT 3 August 2004 In preparation for the arrival of the European Space Agency's Automated Transfer Vehicle, Padalka and Fincke removed laser retro reflectors from the Zvezda Service Module assembly compartment and installed three updated laser retro reflectors and one internal videometer target. They installed two antennas. The spacewalkers removed Kromka Panel No. 2 and installed Kromka Panel No. 3. The Kromka experiment exposes various materials to the space environment. They also replaced another materials science experiment. Spacewalk 4 Gennady Padalka, Mike Fincke Time: 5 hours, 20 minutes Start time: 16:43 UTC, 3 September 2004 End time: 22:04 UTC, 3 September 2004 Expedition 9's fourth scheduled EVA prepared the Station for future assembly operations and the arrival of the ATV. The spacewalkers replaced the Zarya Control Module flow control panel and installed four safety tether fairleads on Zarya's handrails. ATV support operations included installing equipment for the air-to-air radio link antennas and removing all covers from antennas. Other tasks included installing a Pressure Control and Exposure Monitor Sensor on Pirs and installing protective components on the brackets of Pirs' ring handrails on EVA Hatch No. 2.
