American astronaut Sunita Williams will hand over command of the International Space Station (ISS) to Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin on Friday, Roscosmos press service reported.
The position of ISS commander has existed on the International Space Station since 2000. This is the person who is responsible for the execution of the flight program. He manages the entire crew - both on the Russian and on the American segment, ensuring its safety.
In the event of an emergency, the ISS commander is obliged to inform the Mission Control Centers in Korolev and Houston. The position of commander on the ISS has always been rotating. Prior to Ovchinin, the station was led by Russians 33 times.
During the handover ceremony, a symbolic "key to the station" will be presented, and traditionally, the ship's bell will be struck.
Earlier www1.ru reported that communication quality on the ISS has been improved.
Read related materials:
Astronaut training for the ISS and the Russian Orbital Station will be unified
Earth is visible in the porthole: 24/7 4K broadcast of our planet launched from the ISS