The first half of the year 2011 is a busy time for the space station. Japan's HII-Transfer Vehicle (HTV), Europe's Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) will deliver supplies to the outpost. Soyuz capsules will arrive and depart with crews and Progress spacecraft ferry cargo for the Russian segment of the station. At least two space shuttle visits are planned, Discovery's STS-133 mission for the 24th of February and Endeavour's STS-134 mission in April on their final voyages to the International Space Station.
The next Progress freighter is scheduled to launch January 27. The European Space Agency plans to dispatch the ATV to the station on February 15.
Late February and early March will be the only time in the station's history that all of its existing piloted and unpiloted visiting vehicles will be present at the orbiting lab. If schedules hold, the shuttle Discovery, HTV, ATV, Soyuz and Progress spacecraft should be docked to the complex at the same time.
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