Does the Space Station Crew ever get homesick for family?”
A spacewalk was recently performed in preparation for a new module that will expand the number of docking ports at the station. This will be necessary when the crew expands from 3 to 6 astronauts. A second soyuz escape capsule will have to be docked at all times for the crew to escape in case of a catastrophic failure. The new module will also allow more supply capsules to dock at the same time, since more supplies will be used up by more astronauts. I don’t think there is a plan for allowing multiple shuttles to dock at the same time. I am sure the astronauts miss their family and friends, but they have regular access to email, and some access to phones and ham radios. The crews remain on the station for about 6 months at a time, and they are rotated out. The next rotation is scheduled for October, but launch times can vary. You can find out more at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/exped
