Posted: Sat, Apr 20, 2002, 12:42 PM ET (1642 GMT)
The three-man Expedition Four crew briefly left the International Space Station early Saturday, flying a Soyuz spacecraft to a new docking port on the station in preparation for the arrival of another Soyuz. Commander Yuri Onufrienko and crew members Carl Walz and Dan Bursch boarded the Soyuz TM-33 spacecraft which undocked from the nadir docking port on the Zarya module at 5:16 am EDT (0916 GMT). The spacecraft backed away about 100 meters from the station before moving over slightly and docking with the Pirs airlock module at 5:37 am EDT (0937 GMT). The maneuver frees up the Zarya port for the arrival of Soyuz TM-34 on April 27. The taxi crew that will fly TM-34 to the station will return to Earth on TM-33, which is nearing the end of its six-month design life in space.

Related Links:

•  NASA ISS status report #02-19
•  Spaceflight Now station status center
•  SPACE.com ISS section