Soyuz TMA-10
Encyclopedia
Soyuz TMA-10 was a human spaceflight
mission using a Soyuz-TMA
spacecraft to transport personnel to and from the International Space Station
(ISS). The mission began at 17:31:09 UTC on April 7, 2007 when the spacecraft was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome
by a Soyuz FG launch vehicle. Soyuz TMA-10 brought to the station two members of ISS Expedition 15
crew, along with one spaceflight participant
. It remained at the space station as an escape craft until it was replaced by Soyuz TMA-11
in October 2007.
returned to Earth aboard Soyuz TMA-9
on April 21, following eleven days of ISS handover operations.
TMA-10 undocked from the ISS at 07:14 UTC on October 21, and deorbit occurred at 09:47. During atmospheric re-entry, the spacecraft transitioned to a ballistic reentry
, resulting in it landing west of Arkalyk
, approximately 340 km (211.3 mi) northwest of the intended Kazakhstan
landing site. The trajectory was reported by the crew as soon as they came out of the communications blackout
caused by plasma surrounding the spacecraft. A ballistic trajectory is a backup re-entry mode that takes over if something fails during normal re-entry. A Commission of Inquiry determined that the ballistic re-entry was caused by damage to a cable in the spacecraft’s control panel, which connected the control panel with the Soyuz descent equipment. Landing occurred at 10:36 GMT. A ballistic trajectory entry had happened previously, with the Soyuz TMA-1
mission that returned Expedition 6
. The information about failure of connector in service pannel were fault, in fact the Service module (PAO) failed to separate from Reentry module (SA) and the ship entered the atmosphere in opposite orientation. Explosive bolts in connection struts between Reentry module and Service module failed to explode. Fortunately the heat melted failed struts and the reentry module was separated from service module - changed trajectory of the ship caused switch to ballistice emergency landing. The same situation happened during Soyuz 5 mission in 60´s, Soyuz SA then was and still is protected from all directions with thermal insolation, so the struts melted sooner than crew entry hatch was damaged or destroyed which saved the crew. The Russians keeps the failure of Soyuz TMA-10 in secret until it happened again with Soyuz TMA-11 with NASA astronaut onboard. This infuriated NASA (Commision of Inquiry lied to them) and led to further investigation and also to special EVA activity on ISS to check docked Soyuz TMA-12 and it´s explosive bolts in connection struts.
Human spaceflight
Human spaceflight is spaceflight with humans on the spacecraft. When a spacecraft is manned, it can be piloted directly, as opposed to machine or robotic space probes and remotely-controlled satellites....
mission using a Soyuz-TMA
Soyuz-TMA
The Soyuz-TMA is a recent revision of the Soyuz spacecraft, superseded in 2010 by the Soyuz TMA-M..It is used by the Russian Federal Space Agency for human spaceflight...
spacecraft to transport personnel to and from the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
(ISS). The mission began at 17:31:09 UTC on April 7, 2007 when the spacecraft was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome
Baikonur Cosmodrome
The Baikonur Cosmodrome , also called Tyuratam, is the world's first and largest operational space launch facility. It is located in the desert steppe of Kazakhstan, about east of the Aral Sea, north of the Syr Darya river, near Tyuratam railway station, at 90 meters above sea level...
by a Soyuz FG launch vehicle. Soyuz TMA-10 brought to the station two members of ISS Expedition 15
Expedition 15
Expedition 15 was the 15th expedition to the International Space Station . Four crew members participated in the expedition, although for most of the expedition's duration only three were on the station at any one time...
crew, along with one spaceflight participant
Space tourism
Space Tourism is space travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. A number of startup companies have sprung up in recent years, hoping to create a space tourism industry...
. It remained at the space station as an escape craft until it was replaced by Soyuz TMA-11
Soyuz TMA-11
Soyuz TMA-11 was a human spaceflight mission using a Soyuz-TMA spacecraft to transport personnel to and from the International Space Station . The mission began at 13:22 UTC on October 10, 2007 when the spacecraft was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome by a Soyuz FG launch vehicle...
in October 2007.
Crew
Backup crew
Mission highlights
Soyuz TMA-10 docked to the ISS on April 9, 2007 at 22:10 UTC, following two days of free flight. Its two Russian crew members remained on the station until the spacecraft's return to Earth in October 2007. Spaceflight participant Charles SimonyiCharles Simonyi
Charles Simonyi is a Hungarian-American computer software executive who, as head of Microsoft's application software group, oversaw the creation of Microsoft's flagship Office suite of applications. He now heads his own company, Intentional Software, with the aim of developing and marketing his...
returned to Earth aboard Soyuz TMA-9
Soyuz TMA-9
-Crew notes:Daisuke Enomoto Was originally scheduled to be the spaceflight participant, but on on 21 August 2006, he was determined to be unfit for the flight due to medical reasons, and replaced by Anousheh Ansari, his back-up crew member.-Docking with ISS:...
on April 21, following eleven days of ISS handover operations.
TMA-10 undocked from the ISS at 07:14 UTC on October 21, and deorbit occurred at 09:47. During atmospheric re-entry, the spacecraft transitioned to a ballistic reentry
Ballistic reentry
A ballistic reentry is a type of atmospheric reentry of an artificial vehicle that relies solely on drag within the atmosphere to slow the vehicle....
, resulting in it landing west of Arkalyk
Arkalyk
Arkalyk is a city in Kostanay Province, northern Kazakhstan. Earlier, it was the centre of Torgay province, which was abolished in 1997. Today, it is the administrative centre of Torgay region, Kostanay province....
, approximately 340 km (211.3 mi) northwest of the intended Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
landing site. The trajectory was reported by the crew as soon as they came out of the communications blackout
Communications blackout
In telecommunications, communications blackouts are*a cessation of communications or communications capability, caused by a lack of power to a communications facility or to communications equipment....
caused by plasma surrounding the spacecraft. A ballistic trajectory is a backup re-entry mode that takes over if something fails during normal re-entry. A Commission of Inquiry determined that the ballistic re-entry was caused by damage to a cable in the spacecraft’s control panel, which connected the control panel with the Soyuz descent equipment. Landing occurred at 10:36 GMT. A ballistic trajectory entry had happened previously, with the Soyuz TMA-1
Soyuz TMA-1
-Mission parameters:*Mass: 7,220 kg , gross *Perigee: 193 km *Apogee: 235 km *Inclination: 51.6° *Period: 88.7 minutes-Docking with ISS:*Docked to ISS: November 1, 2002, 05:01 UTC...
mission that returned Expedition 6
Expedition 6
Expedition 6 was the sixth expedition to the International Space Station. It was the last three man crew to reside on the station until the arrival of STS-121...
. The information about failure of connector in service pannel were fault, in fact the Service module (PAO) failed to separate from Reentry module (SA) and the ship entered the atmosphere in opposite orientation. Explosive bolts in connection struts between Reentry module and Service module failed to explode. Fortunately the heat melted failed struts and the reentry module was separated from service module - changed trajectory of the ship caused switch to ballistice emergency landing. The same situation happened during Soyuz 5 mission in 60´s, Soyuz SA then was and still is protected from all directions with thermal insolation, so the struts melted sooner than crew entry hatch was damaged or destroyed which saved the crew. The Russians keeps the failure of Soyuz TMA-10 in secret until it happened again with Soyuz TMA-11 with NASA astronaut onboard. This infuriated NASA (Commision of Inquiry lied to them) and led to further investigation and also to special EVA activity on ISS to check docked Soyuz TMA-12 and it´s explosive bolts in connection struts.