The 19th crew arrived at the space station * Discovery is expected to land at a quarter past ten

Today, the Soyuz TMA-14 spacecraft is expected to dock at the space station with two members of the 19th crew and a space tourist on board, and at the same time the space shuttle Discovery is expected to land in Florida * A total of 13 people on the shuttle, Soyuz and the station

Update 21:20: The control center gave the shuttle Discovery permission to start its engines in preparation for landing for 3-4 minutes around 21:08. The landing is expected at 22:14 at the Kennedy Space Center. NASA skipped one landing date that was expected about an hour and a half earlier due to severe weather in the Kennedy Space Center area. In the meantime the weather improved and therefore the permission to land was given.

Mission Control has given space shuttle Discovery a "go" for the deorbit burn. The burn lasts three to four minutes, slowing Discovery enough to begin its descent. The deorbit burn will occur at 2:08 pm EDT, leading to a 3:14 pm landing at Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

Update 19:35 - Due to unstable weather above the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Space Shuttle Discovery crew members were asked to wait at least one more time. The landing attempt is now expected at 22:15. If this time does remain in effect, the shuttle's engines for landing will start at 21:09 - all times are according to Israel time.

Update 16:30 The Soyuz TMA-14 spacecraft with the 19th crew of the space station docked a little while ago at the station. The hatches between the station's airlock and the spacecraft should open in about two and a half hours.

13 astronauts simultaneously in space

The initial news - 00:00

After taking off yesterday From the Baikonur Spaceport in Kazakhstan, the Soyuz TMA-14 spacecraft will dock today at the International Space Station with two members of the 19th crew, the Russian Gandy Padlaka and the American Michael Barratt, and with them the space tourist Charles Simoni. Padlaka will serve as the commander of the 19th crew and the 20th crew of the station, which on May 29 will increase its occupancy to six people and for the first time will have representatives of all the space agencies participating in its establishment: NASA, the European Space Agency, Russia and Japan.

The Soyuz is expected to dock at the space station today around 16:14 Israel time.

Padalka and Barratt will stay on the station for about six months while Simoni will return to Earth on April 7 together with the 18th crew members Michael Finke and Yuri Lunchakov who have been on the station since October 2008.

At the same time, the space shuttle Discovery, which left the space station on Wednesday, is making its way to Earth. The astronauts were busy during the day testing Discovery's heat shield that protects the shuttle during atmospheric reentry.

The shuttle is expected to land at 20:39 Israel time at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. If this landing is not possible, the team will have a second chance to land one lap later, at 22:14.