(The full Expedition 40 crew – Photo Credit: Oleg Artemyev/Roscosmos)

With the 3 newest arrivals safely on board the station, the now-complete Expedition 40 crew have a busy couple of months ahead of them. A wide range of science experiments, cargo arrivals and spacewalks (EVAs) are scheduled in the near future. Here is a brief overview of what the astronauts and cosmonauts will be accomplishing during their stay.

High quality images from May 28th crew launch

NASA photographer Joel Kowsky produced these brilliant shots of Expedition 40/41’s blast off to the International Space Station.

Preparing to travel to space: A gallery of Expedition 40/41’s activities

Here is a collection of images documenting the crew’s journey.

Image of the Day: 27/05/14

(Photo Credit: ESA/Samantha Cristoforetti)

With less than 32 hours until liftoff, Expedition 40/41 Soyuz’s rocket is now ready to launch.

While the rocket was being vertically aligned, future astronaut, Samantha Cristoforetti, snapped this brilliant picture from underneath the engines.

It really demonstrates the sheer size and power of the craft.

Crew members Gerst, Wiseman and Suraev have now been given the go ahead to travel to the International Space Station tomorrow.

Click here for more information on the crew and launch.

3 Astronauts return to Earth after 6 months at International Space Station

(Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls)

After living on the International Space Station for 188 days, astronauts Koichi Wakata, Rick Mastracchio and Mikhail Tyurin returned to Earth on May 14th.