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LEFT: The Soyuz FG rocket, with its Soyuz TMA
spacecraft payload, lifts off from Baikonur Cosmodrome
in Kazakhstan, carrying Yuri Malenchenko and Ed Lu to
the ISS. RIGHT: Expedition 7 patch.
For current info, see Part 3 of our Mission Journal.
09 May 2003 - Friday -
Expedition Seven is settled into their new digs, while the returning trio
are still in Russia, recovering from a long stay in zero-G.
reports:
Expedition Seven Commander Yuri Malenchenko and NASA ISS Science Officer
Ed Lu completed their first workweek alone aboard the International Space
Station. Throughout the workweek, they continued to familiarize themselves
with their new home and perform routine maintenance on the orbital
outpost, including work on the station's toilet system and an inspection
of the emergency lighting system. Also, both crewmembers participated in
their first medical tests on the orbital outpost. The tests looked at
heart activity, red blood cell count and body mass.
The station's previous crew, Expedition Six, is still in Star
City, Russia, rehabilitating from its 5½-month stay in orbit. Commander
Ken Bowersox and NASA ISS Science Officer Don Pettit are slated to return
to Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, later this month.
The cause of Expedition Six's off-target landing is still under
investigation, but a software bug in the new spacecraft seems likely.
04 May 2003 - 2PM EDT -
It appears from the post-landing video we've seen, that
and are in good health and spirits.
was hardly seen (
are that he was queasy from the
,
and this was his first flight). It is not unusual for astronauts returning
from long durations in zero-G to have some trouble adjusting to normal
gravity, and we hope Don will be up and about soon. Sean O'Keefe will be on
at 5PM EDT, greeting the crew at Star City, Russia.
04 May - 1PM EDT -
What the
to
from its intended landing zone? Was it human error? High winds? Bad
software? The Russians have promised an
. Check the links at top right for
,
and look for landing footage on
at1:30PM EDT! ISS pics
. Landing sequence
.
04 May - Morning Update - After a
looking for the
of the International Space Station, the trio
are to the city of Astana, Kazakhstan - as
.
After that, they will head to Russia.
reports:
Expedition
Six Commander Ken Bowersox, Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin and NASA ISS
Science Officer Don Pettit landed at 9:07 p.m. CDT Saturday (0207 GMT
Sunday) after spending more than five months at the International Space
Station. The landing was also the first time U.S. astronauts have returned
to Earth on a Soyuz.
Their Soyuz TMA-1 capsule touched down about about 460
kilometers (285 miles) short of its targeted area. They were located by a
search aircraft about 11:30 p.m. CDT Saturday (0430 GMT Sunday). Reports
indicate that all three crewmembers are in good health.
Their post-retrieval schedule includes going to Star City,
Russia, where they will undergo physical rehabilitation and be debriefed
at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. Bowersox and Pettit are slated
to return to Houston, Texas, in mid-May.
Any post-landing video of the Expedition Six crew will be shown
on as soon as possible.
The Soyuz capsule was found on its side, about
. The 2 astronauts and one cosmonaut were
safe and sound, after a
of almost
for the spacecraft.
04 May - 2:10AM EDT -
is
, and we're signing off for tonight. Check the links at top right for
,
and follow the landing on !
04 May - 1:25AM EDT - NASA's Rob Navias checked in again. Expedition Six Lead Flight Surgeon Mike Duncan, and Expedition
Seven Backup Commander Mike Foale are en route to the landing site.
at the Baikonur Cosmodrome (instead of the Kazakh
capital, Astana) in a few hours.
reports:
A search aircraft
located the landing site of the Soyuz TMA-1 spacecraft that was returning
the Expedition Six crew from the International Space Station. The Soyuz
touched down about [10:07PM EDT Saturday/0207 GMT Sunday]. The Soyuz
landed about 460 kilometers (250 nautical miles) short of its targeted
area. The recovery aircraft has been in contact with crewmembers and they
appear to be in good health.
Helicopters carrying recovery technicians, medical personnel and
U.S. and Russian officials are en route to the landing site. The crew will
receive medical checkups once the helicopters arrive.
Commander Ken Bowersox, Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin and NASA
ISS Science Officer Don Pettit just completed a 5 1/2-month stay at the station.
Earlier in
the day, Bowersox handed over control of the International Space Station
to Commander Yuri Malenchenko during a change of command
ceremony. Then Expedition Six said goodbye to Malenchenko and his
crewmate, NASA ISS Science Officer Ed Lu, before entering the Soyuz. They
undocked from the station at [6:43PM EDT/2243 GMT].
Malenchenko
and Lu arrived at the station April 28 aboard the Soyuz TMA-2 spacecraft
and will spend six months aboard the ISS. They are slated to leave station
in early November when the Expedition eight crewmembers replace them.
04 May - 1AM EDT - NASA's Rob Navias checked in with the
on the visual contact with the Expedition Six crew from the
.
It can only circle
the crew, it cannot land to pick them up, so we will have to wait for the
helicopters to arrive. The crew has plenty of provisions and warm clothing.
The search and recovery team is currently refueling the helicopters, and
flight surgeons will be heading to meet the space trio. The Soyuz descent
module landed softly at coordinates 49.37 deg North latitude, 61.2 deg East
longitude, (460 km southwest of its intended target), placing it 200km north
of the .
04 May - 12:47AM EDT - CONTACT! - More good news from that recon plane - the hatch is open, and the crew were waving to them,
indicating that they are fine. There has been radio contact as well. The
latest numbers are that the capsule landed 460km short of its target, which
explains the initial delay in locating them. Note from Tony: OK, my
nerves are shot. Thank God they made it home!
04 May - 12:37AM EDT - SPOTTED! - The lead aircraft (not a helicopter) has made visual contact with the Soyuz capsule.
It is 240 nautical miles from its intended landing site, and reports are that it appears to be in good shape. The helicopter fleet will have to refuel
in order to reach the Expedition Six crew. Estimates are that it will take 2 more hours to reach them.
04 May 2003 - 12:20AM EDT -
from recovery forces. Weather conditions (cloud cover, light rain) may be delaying the four-helicopter fleet in their
for the
.
NASA had reported voice contact with the crew, but
?
03 May 2003 - 11:37PM EDT - As
await word from recovery forces, we are standing by. Russian Mission Control reports
with the
, and that helicopters are still searching for the capsule.
03 May 2003 - 11:07PM EDT - NASA Space Station Program
Manager , traveling with Russian recovery forces, estimates that it will be another 30 minutes before they reach the landing site, which is about 30km from the intended touchdown point.
03 May 2003 - 10:45PM EDT - NASA Public Affairs Officer Rob Navias, traveling with Russian recovery forces, reports that the
appears to have
about 30km off-target.
Still awaiting visual contact.
03 May 2003 - 10:25PM EDT - Still waiting for any video from the landing site.
At ISS Mission Control in Korolov, the video display is showing a picture of
a descent module on the ground, with a chopper in the air, but that is a
generic picture (with "They Have Landed!" in Russian), not an actual visual
from TMA-2. Four helicopters from the recovery crew are en route to the landing site. The
crew, now alone on the ISS, has heard of the safe return of their colleagues.
03 May 2003 - 10:10PM EDT - TOUCHDOWN! - We have confirmation that the Soyuz capsule with its crew of three, are
(whew!).
We are waiting to hear from ground forces as to when the hatch will be
opened. The crew are adjusting to Earth gravity after 162 days in space.
03 May 2003 - 10:05PM EDT - WAITING FOR LANDING - The main parachute has deployed, and we are standing by to hear of the actual landing.
03 May 2003 - 9:57PM EDT - PARACHUTE DEPLOY - The Soyuz decent module is parachuting down to its
in
.
We are waiting for confirmation for main chute deploy (we only have
confirmation on the pilot chute so far).
03 May 2003 - 9:45PM EDT - The
has separated from the instrument and
orbital modules and is heading for a
in
at 10:07PM EDT.
03 May 2003 - Saturday - The
has
the
and
are
.
reports:
Expedition Six Leaves Station, Heads Home
Expedition
Six Commander Ken Bowersox, Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin and NASA ISS
Science Officer Don Pettit bid farewell to the International Space Station
and its new residents this afternoon and are on their way home. Their stay
at the orbital outpost, which began Nov. 25, came to an end when their
Soyuz TMA-1 spacecraft undocked from the orbital outpost at [6:43PM
EDT/2243 GMT]. Landing is slated to occur about [10:07 EDT] tonight (0207
GMT Sunday) in Kazakhstan.
Prior to
closing the hatches between the two vehicles, Bowersox handed over station
command to Expedition Seven Commander Yuri Malenchenko about [2:15PM
EDT/1815 GMT]. Expedition Seven, which also includes NASA ISS Science
Officer Ed Lu, arrived at the ISS Monday aboard the Soyuz TMA-2 spacecraft
to begin a six-month tour of duty.
Undocking
occurred as the two spacecraft flew over northeastern Asia. The landing
forecast calls for rain and a temperature of about 10 degrees Celsius (50
degrees Fahrenheit) at landing time, which is acceptable for landing.
is the
commander, while his former boss
is in the copilot's seat - the second American (after Ed Lu) to do so.
and Pettit will be the
to make a
in a
Russian spacecraft (, an American, was a
on his
flight to the ISS).
Check the links at top right for
,
and follow the landing on !
02 May 2003 - Friday - Expedition Six's stint on the ISS is drawing to a
.
reports:
Expedition Six
Commander Ken Bowersox, Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin and NASA ISS
Science Officer Don Pettit will bid farewell to the International Space
Station and its new residents Saturday before returning to Earth. Their
stay at the orbital outpost, which began Nov. 25, 2002, will come to an
end when their Soyuz TMA-1 spacecraft undocks from the orbital outpost at
[6:40PM EDT/2240 GMT].
Prior to closing the hatches between the two vehicles, Bowersox
will hand over station command to Expedition Seven Commander Yuri Malenchenko.
Expedition Seven, which also includes NASA ISS Science Officer Ed Lu, arrived
at the ISS Monday aboard the Soyuz TMA-2 spacecraft to begin a six-month
tour of duty.
The two
crews spent their workweek together conducting handover activities and
joint operations. On Friday, Malenchenko and Lu familiarized themselves
with the station's robot arm, Canadarm2, and both crews stowed equipment
in the ISS and loaded equipment onto the TMA-1 spacecraft.
Expedition Six will return to Earth almost 3.5 hours after
undocking. The TMA-1 is slated to touch down at [10:07PM EDT Saturday/0207 GMT Sunday]
at 51 degrees 2 minutes north longitude and 67 degrees 1
minute east latitude. The weather forecast calls for rain and a
temperature of about 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) at landing
time, which is acceptable for landing.
Bowersox and Pettit will be the first NASA astronauts to land in
a Soyuz spacecraft. Only one other American, Dennis Tito in 2001, has
landed in a Soyuz.
Watch
to see Expedition Six landing coverage, beginning at [2PM EDT/1800 GMT] Saturday.
01 May 2003 - Happy ! -
ISS press conference today at 11:13AM EDT (Russian first, then English).
reports:
The International Space Station's out-going crew, Expedition Six,
continued handover activities with the Expedition Seven crewmembers, who
arrived Monday. In addition to briefings on station systems and
operations, Expedition Six Commander Ken Bowersox and Expedition Seven
NASA ISS Science Officer Ed Lu prepared U.S. spacesuits for use by the new
crew. Expedition Seven Commander Yuri Malenchenko and Expedition Six
Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin received cargo statements from the ground.
In other activities, Bowersox, Malenchenko, Lu and Expedition
Six Science Officer Don Pettit reviewed software in preparation for
Friday's robotic arm work. In the Destiny Laboratory Module, Pettit
switched lenses on the
, or EarthKAM,
experiment camera. Also, all five crewmembers participated in an
interview with Russian media Thursday.
After a change of command ceremony Saturday, Expedition Six
will enter the Soyuz TMA-1 spacecraft and return to Earth. Undocking is
slated to take place at [6:40PM EDT/2240 GMT] Saturday, and landing is
scheduled for [10:03PM EDT Saturday/0203 GMT Sunday]. The landing
coordinates are 67 degrees east latitude and 51 degrees north longitude,
which is near the town of Arkylyk, Kazakhstan. The weather forecast
calls for rain with temperatures in the mid-50s at landing time.
Read Expedition Six NASA ISS Science Officer Don Pettit's
latest Space Chronicle, "," from aboard the International Space Station.
Follow the flight on !
30 April 2003 - Wednesday -
ISS press conference tomorrow at 11:13AM EDT (Russian first, then English).
reports:
With
its time aboard the International Space Station coming to a close
this weekend, the Expedition Six crew prepared for its departure and
continued handover activities with the Expedition Seven crew Wednesday.
Expedition Six crewmembers participated in descent training inside the
Soyuz TMA-1 spacecraft -- the vehicle in which they will return to Earth.
Both crews continued the process of transferring control of the
station to Expedition Seven, which arrived at the station Monday to begin
a six-month stay. Also, the astronauts and cosmonauts participated in interviews
with ABC's "Good Morning America" and NBC's "Today" show.
Expedition Six will leave the station aboard the Soyuz TMA-1 at
[6:40PM EDT/2240 GMT] Saturday. They are scheduled to land in
Kazakhstan at [10:03PM EDT Saturday/0203 GMT Sunday].
Learn more about how a
and check out the new
.
Check out the full
for upcoming Expedition Six and Seven coverage on
.
Follow the flight on !
29 April 2003 - Tuesday -
continue
aboard Space Station Alpha, as the joint crews held a
today.
reports:
Handover
activities continued Tuesday aboard the International Space Station during the first
full day of joint operations between the Expedition Six and Seven crews.
The Expedition Six crew, which has been on the ISS since late November
2002, spent time briefing its replacements -- Expedition Seven Commander
Yuri Malenchenko and NASA ISS Science Officer Ed Lu -- about station
systems and procedures.
Both crews also participated in a news conference that began at
[11:30AM EDT/1530 GMT] Tuesday.
They fielded questions from media in the United States and Russia.
The crews will continue joint operations throughout the week.
Expedition Six Commander Ken Bowersox, Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin and NASA ISS
Science Officer Don Pettit will have a training session inside the Soyuz
TMA-1 spacecraft to prepare for their return to Earth. They will leave the
station aboard the Soyuz TMA-1 at [6:40PM EDT/2240 GMT] Saturday. They
are scheduled to land in Kazakhstan at [10:03PM EDT Saturday/0203 GMT Sunday].
Read Expedition Six NASA ISS Science Officer Don Pettit's latest
Space Chronicle, , from aboard the International Space Station.
Check out the full
for upcoming Expedition Six and Seven coverage on
.
Follow the flight on !
28 April 2003 - Hatches Open - Expedition 7 has
at the
in their
spacecraft, docking early .
reports:
Today
aboard the International Space Station, the Expedition Six crew welcomed
its first visitors in more than four months. After a successful docking,
the hatches between the station and the Soyuz TMA-2 spacecraft hatches
were opened and the Expedition Seven Commander Yuri Malenchenko and NASA
ISS Science Officer Ed Lu entered the ISS at [3:27AM EDT/0727 GMT]. They
were welcomed by Expedition Six Commander Ken Bowersox, Flight Engineer
Nikolai Budarin and NASA ISS Science Officer Don Pettit, who have been
aboard the orbital outpost since Nov. 25, 2002. Docking occurred at
[1:56AM EDT/0556 GMT] as the two spacecraft sailed over Kazakhstan in
central Asia.
Watch NASA
TV to see the three astronauts and two cosmonauts aboard the ISS
participate in a
, which begins Tuesday at [11:30AM EDT/1530 GMT].
Check out the full
for upcoming Expedition Six and Seven coverage on NASA TV.
(136 Kb PDF)
Ask the ISS Crew
are available.
Flight
Engineer Don Pettit's Space Chronicles.
Pics from post-docking news conference
.
28 April 2003 - DOCKED - Soyuz TMA-2, the first
post-Columbia spaceflight, has arrived at Space Station Alpha.
reports:
Expedition Seven Arrives at Station Two new residents have
arrived at the International Space Station. The Soyuz TMA-2 spacecraft
linked up to the station this morning as they flew over Kazakhstan in
central Asia. The Russian Soyuz docked to the Earth-facing port of the
station's Zarya Module at 12:56 a.m. CDT (0556 GMT). Expedition Six
Commander Ken Bowersox, Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin and NASA ISS
Science Officer Don Pettit will welcome the Expedition Seven crew --
Commander Yuri Malenchenko and NASA ISS Science Officer Ed Lu -- aboard
the station when the hatches to the Soyuz TMA-2 are opened later today
about [3:20AM EDT/0720 GMT].
The two
crews will conduct joint operations this week. Among their handover
activities, Expedition Six crewmembers will brief the new crew about
ongoing science and station maintenance activities. On Saturday,
Expedition Six will depart the station and return to Earth aboard the
Soyuz TMA-1 spacecraft, ending a stay at the orbital outpost that began
Nov. 25, 2002.
Malenchenko
and Lu are the first people to visit Expedition Six since STS-113 left
Dec. 2, 2002. They are the first humans to be launched into space since
Space Shuttle Columbia and the STS-107 crew were lost during re-entry on
Feb. 1. Expedition Seven is slated to spend six months aboard the station.
Watch NASA
TV to see the three astronauts and two cosmonauts aboard the ISS
participate in a
at [11:25AM EDT/1525 GMT].
Check out the full
for upcoming Expedition Six and Seven coverage on NASA TV.
Stay tuned...
For earlier coverage, see Part 1 of our Mission Journal.
The two
crews spent their workweek together conducting handover activities and
joint operations. On Friday, Malenchenko and Lu familiarized themselves
with the station's robot arm, Canadarm2, and both crews stowed equipment
in the ISS and loaded equipment onto the TMA-1 spacecraft.
