The space station crew enjoyed a day off Wednesday resting up after the busy assembly mission. They also prepared for the arrival of the next cargo delivery vehicle, the Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle, scheduled for launch from Tanegashima, Japan, at 1:01 p.m. EDT Thursday.

The population aboard the International Space Station is back to six following the departure of space shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew at 3:26 p.m. Tuesday.

The shuttle crew's newest member, Mission Specialist Tim Kopra, is returning to Earth after 44 days as a member of the station's Expedition 20 crew, while his replacement, Nicole Stott, begins a three-month stay in orbit.

For the latest news and information on the STS-128 mission, visit the main shuttle page.
+ Read more http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

› View HTV press kit (6.4 Mb PDF) http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/384523main_htv_press_kit.pdf
› View JAXA HTV web site http://www.jaxa.jp/countdown/h2bf1/index_e.html

› Read more about Expedition 20 http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition20/index...
› View crew timelines http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/timelines/09_2009_tl.html