Soyuz TMA-7
Encyclopedia
Soyuz TMA-7 was a transport mission for portions of the International Space Station
(ISS) Expedition 12
crew launched October 1, 2005. The flight delivered ISS Commander William McArthur
and ISS Flight Engineer Valery Tokarev
to the station to replace Expedition 11
crew members. Spaceflight Participant Gregory Olsen
joined the TMA-7 crew for the ascent and docking with the ISS, spent approximately eight days aboard conducting experiments, then returned to Earth with the outgoing members of Expedition 11 aboard Soyuz TMA-6
. McArthur and Tokarev were joined on their return trip to Earth by Flight Engineer Marcos Pontes
who launched aboard Soyuz TMA-8
and spent approximately seven days aboard the ISS conducting experiments for the Brazilian Space Agency
.
Soyuz TMA-7 is a Soyuz spacecraft
which has been launched on October 1, 2005 by a Soyuz-FG
rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome
.
The spacecraft carried two members of the Expedition 12
crew to the International Space Station
, together with the space tourist Gregory Olsen
. They replaced the Expedition 11
crew, Commander Sergei Krikalev
and John Phillips
.
The last member of the original Expedition 12 crew, Thomas Reiter
finally launched in July 2006 on STS-121
. Owing to shuttle mechanical and weather delays, he was forced to move to Expedition 13
.
This was the last flight which is covered by the 1996 "balance" agreement that required the Russians to provide 11 Soyuz spacecraft to ferry joint U.S-Russian crews to and from the International Space Station. Further Soyuz flights needed a renegotiation between NASA and its Russian counterpart, and a modification of the Iran Nonproliferation Act of 2000.
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) Expedition 12
Expedition 12
Expedition 12 was the 12th expedition to the International Space Station, launched from Kazakhstan using the Russian Soyuz TMA-7 spacecraft...
crew launched October 1, 2005. The flight delivered ISS Commander William McArthur
William S. McArthur
William Surles McArthur, Jr. is a retired U.S. Army Colonel, a NASA astronaut, and a veteran of three space shuttle missions and one expedition to the International Space Station via the Russian Soyuz capsule.-Army career:...
and ISS Flight Engineer Valery Tokarev
Valery Tokarev
Valeri Ivanovich Tokarev , Russian Air Force Colonel and test cosmonaut at the Yuri A. Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, was born October 29, 1952 in the town of Kap-Yar, Astrakhan Oblast and currently resides at Star City, Moscow Region. He has traveled to space twice and has performed two career...
to the station to replace Expedition 11
Expedition 11
Expedition 11 was the 11th expedition to the International Space Station, using the Soyuz TMA-6, which stayed during the expedition for emergency evacuation....
crew members. Spaceflight Participant Gregory Olsen
Gregory Olsen
Gregory Hammond "Greg" Olsen is an American entrepreneur, engineer and scientist who, in October 2005, became the third private citizen to make a self-funded trip to the International Space Station with the company Space Adventures....
joined the TMA-7 crew for the ascent and docking with the ISS, spent approximately eight days aboard conducting experiments, then returned to Earth with the outgoing members of Expedition 11 aboard Soyuz TMA-6
Soyuz TMA-6
Soyuz TMA-6 was a Soyuz mission to the International Space Station launched by a Soyuz-FG launch vehicle.-Crew:-Docking with ISS:*Docked to ISS: April 17, 2005, 02:20 UTC...
. McArthur and Tokarev were joined on their return trip to Earth by Flight Engineer Marcos Pontes
Marcos Pontes
Marco Pontes is a Brazilian Air Force pilot. He became the first Brazilian and the first Lusophone to go into space when he launched to the International Space Station aboard Soyuz TMA-8 on March 30, 2006...
who launched aboard Soyuz TMA-8
Soyuz TMA-8
-Back-up crew:-Docking with ISS:*Docked to ISS: April 1, 2006, 04:19 UTC *Undocked from ISS: September 28, 2006, 21:53 UTC -Mission highlights:29th manned flight to ISS...
and spent approximately seven days aboard the ISS conducting experiments for the Brazilian Space Agency
Brazilian Space Agency
The Brazilian Space Agency is the civilian authority in Brazil responsible for the country's burgeoning space program. It operates a spaceport at Alcântara and a rocket launch site at Barreira do Inferno...
.
Crew
Docking with ISS
- Docked to ISS: October 3, 2005, 05:27 UTC (to Pirs module)
- Undocked from ISS: November 18, 2005, 08:46 UTC (from Pirs module)
- Docked to ISS: November 18, 2005, 09:05 UTC (to nadir port of ZaryaZaryaZarya , also known as the Functional Cargo Block or FGB , was the first module of the International Space Station to be launched. The FGB provided electrical power, storage, propulsion, and guidance to the ISS during the initial stage of assembly...
) - Undocked from ISS: March 20, 2006, 06:49 UTC (from nadir port of ZaryaZaryaZarya , also known as the Functional Cargo Block or FGB , was the first module of the International Space Station to be launched. The FGB provided electrical power, storage, propulsion, and guidance to the ISS during the initial stage of assembly...
) - Docked to ISS: March 20, 2006, 07:11 UTC (to aft port of Zvezda)
- Undocked from ISS: April 8, 2006, 20:28 UTC (from aft port of Zvezda)
Mission highlights
28th manned flight to ISS (Flight 11S).Soyuz TMA-7 is a Soyuz spacecraft
Soyuz spacecraft
Soyuz , Union) is a series of spacecraft initially designed for the Soviet space programme by the Korolyov Design Bureau in the 1960s, and still in service today...
which has been launched on October 1, 2005 by a Soyuz-FG
Soyuz-FG
The Soyuz-FG launch vehicle is an improved version of the Soyuz-U, from the R-7 family of rockets, designed and constructed by TsSKB-Progress in Samara...
rocket from 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...
.
Expedition 12
Expedition 12 was the 12th expedition to the International Space Station, launched from Kazakhstan using the Russian Soyuz TMA-7 spacecraft...
crew to 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...
, together with the space tourist Gregory Olsen
Gregory Olsen
Gregory Hammond "Greg" Olsen is an American entrepreneur, engineer and scientist who, in October 2005, became the third private citizen to make a self-funded trip to the International Space Station with the company Space Adventures....
. They replaced the Expedition 11
Expedition 11
Expedition 11 was the 11th expedition to the International Space Station, using the Soyuz TMA-6, which stayed during the expedition for emergency evacuation....
crew, Commander Sergei Krikalev
Sergei Krikalev
Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalev is a Russian cosmonaut and mechanical engineer. As a prominent rocket scientist, he has been veteran of six space flights and currently has spent more time in space than any other human being.On August 16, 2005 at 1:44 a.m...
and John Phillips
John L. Phillips
John Lynch Phillips, PhD is a NASA astronaut. Phillips is also a retired Captain of the United States Navy Reserve. Phillips has received numerous awards and special honors. He is a National Merit Scholar, graduated 2nd in his class of 906 people at the U.S. Naval Academy in 1972...
.
The last member of the original Expedition 12 crew, Thomas Reiter
Thomas Reiter
Thomas Arthur Reiter is a retired European astronaut and is a Brigadier General in the Luftwaffe currently working as Director of Human Spaceflight and Operations at the European Space Agency . , he was one of the top 25 astronauts in terms of total time in space...
finally launched in July 2006 on STS-121
STS-121
STS-121 was a space shuttle mission to the International Space Station flown by Space Shuttle Discovery. The main purposes of the mission were to test new safety and repair techniques introduced following the Columbia disaster of February 2003 as well as to deliver supplies, equipment and...
. Owing to shuttle mechanical and weather delays, he was forced to move to Expedition 13
Expedition 13
Expedition 13 was the 13th expedition to the International Space Station , and launched at 02:30 UTC on 30 March 2006. The expedition used the Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft, which stayed at the station for the duration of the expedition for emergency evacuation....
.
This was the last flight which is covered by the 1996 "balance" agreement that required the Russians to provide 11 Soyuz spacecraft to ferry joint U.S-Russian crews to and from the International Space Station. Further Soyuz flights needed a renegotiation between NASA and its Russian counterpart, and a modification of the Iran Nonproliferation Act of 2000.