Hatches Closed Between Soyuz and Station

At 2:45 p.m. EDT, hatches were closed between the International Space Station and Soyuz TMA-20. Expedition 27 crew members Dmitry Kondratyev, NASA Flight Engineer Cady Coleman and European Space Agency Flight Engineer Paolo Nespoli are preparing to undock at 5:35 p.m. NASA Television will air live coverage of undocking beginning at 5:15 p.m.

After it undocks, Soyuz will move to between 590 and 650 feet from the station and hold in place while Nespoli takes still photographs and video of the space station. The station will rotate 130 degrees to provide Nespoli with ideal views of the complex with space shuttle Endeavour attached.

The deorbit burn targeted for 9:36 p.m. will lead to a landing at 10:26 p.m. in Kazakhstan. NASA Television coverage of deorbit and landing begins at 9:15 p.m.