Soyuz TMA-2

Soyuz TMA-2
Operator Rosaviakosmos
COSPAR ID 2003-016A
Mission duration 184 days, 22 hours, 46 minutes, 28 seconds
Orbits completed ~3,005
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type Soyuz-TMA 11F732
Manufacturer RKK Energia
Launch mass 7,136 kilograms (15,732 lb)
Crew
Crew size 2 up
3 down
Members Yuri Malenchenko
Edward Tsang Lu
Landing Pedro Duque
Callsign Agat (Agate)
Start of mission
Launch date April 26, 2003, 03:53:52 (2003-04-26UTC03:53:52Z) UTC
Rocket Soyuz-FG
Launch site Baikonur 1/5
End of mission
Landing date October 28, 2003, 02:40:20 (2003-10-28UTC02:40:21Z) UTC
Landing site Near Arkalyk
49°55′N 66°57′E / 49.917°N 66.950°E / 49.917; 66.950
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric
Regime Low Earth
Perigee 200 kilometres (120 mi)
Apogee 242 kilometres (150 mi)
Inclination 51.67 degrees
Docking with ISS


Yuri Ivanovich Malenchenko (left) and Edward Tsang Lu

Soyuz programme
(Manned missions)
← Soyuz TMA-1 Soyuz TMA-3 →
Soyuz TMA-2 launch

Soyuz TMA-2 was a Soyuz (Russian Союз ТМА-2, Union TMA-2) mission to the International Space Station (ISS) launched by a Soyuz FG launch vehicle. The spacecraft docked with the ISS 2003-04-28 and undocked 2003-10-27.[1]Soyuz TMA-2 was the second flight for the TMA modification of the Soyuz spacecraft, and the 6th Soyuz to fly to the ISS.

The commander is Yuri Ivanovich Malenchenko (Russia), and flight engineer Edward Tsang Lu (USA), and after docking with the ISS they exchanged with the resident crew on ISS and became the seventh station crew, called "ISS Expedition Seven". Alexander Kaleri and Michael Foale were assigned as the backup crew.

Crew

Position Launching crew Landing crew
Commander Russia Yuri Malenchenko, RKA
Expedition 7
Third spaceflight
Flight Engineer United States Edward Tsang Lu, NASA
Expedition 7
Third and last spaceflight
Flight Engineer None Spain Pedro Duque, ESA[2]
Second and last spaceflight

Original Crew

Position Crew
Commander Russia Gennady Padalka, RKA
N/A (Taxi Flight)
Second spaceflight
Flight Engineer Spain Pedro Duque, ESA
N/A (Taxi Flight)
Second spaceflight
Flight Engineer Russia Oleg Kotov
N/A (Taxi Flight)
First spaceflight

Mission parameters

Docking with ISS

Mission highlights

Originally the Soyuz missions to the ISS were all planned to be only taxi mission to deliver a new Soyuz spacecraft as the station's lifeboat every six month with a visiting crew, but not for crew exchange. Until the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster the same was planned for Soyuz TMA-2, a visiting crew consisting of commander Gennady Padalka and ESA-astronaut Pedro Duque were to spend about one week at the station and then return with the previous Soyuz TMA-1 spacecraft. The third seat might have gone to the Chilean Klaus von Storch as a Chilean space agency (Agencia Chilena del Espacio) cosmonaut, but even before the Columbia disaster it looked like his flight would not happen, and the seat would go to the Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kotov or to deliver freight to the station.

Soyuz TMA-2 landing

During his stay on the station, Malenchenko became the first person to get married in space. His bride was in Texas where long distance marriages are legal.

The spacecraft returned to Earth on October 28, with both the "Expedition 7" crew as well as Pedro Duque on board. Duque was launched with Soyuz TMA-3 and spent only one week on board of the ISS.

References

  1. ↑ "ISS Expedition 7 Crew". NASA.
  2. ↑ "Cervantes mission concludes with Soyuz TMA-2 landing". ESA. October 28, 2003. Retrieved December 17, 2008.

Coordinates: 49°55′N 66°57′E / 49.917°N 66.950°E / 49.917; 66.950

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