Soyuz TMA-12

Launch, orbit & landing data: Designation  32756 / 08015A Launch date - time  08 Apr 2008 - 11:16 UT Launch site  Baikonur, LC1/5 Launch vehicle Soyuz-FG (#xx) Soyuz designation 11F732 nº Mass (kg)  7250? kg Docking date - time  10 Apr 2008 - 12:57 UT Target spacecraft/port  ISS/Pirs module Earth orbit on Apr 10.49:    - Perigee / Apogee  337 x 339 km    - Inclination  51.64°    - Period  91.29 min Undocking date - time  24 Oct 2008 - 00:16 UT Deorbit burn date - time   Landing date - time  24 Oct 2008 - 03:37:10 UT Landing location  51° 05' N, 67° 13' E Flight Duration (d:hr:min)  198d 16h 20m Nbr orbits  3131 Landing crew  Volkov, Kononenko & Garriott (crew TMA-13)

After leaving the bus at the launch pad, Yi was escorted to the steps of the Soyuz by the first woman in space Valentina Tereshkova.

Launched Crew

Backup Crew

Nr. Name Job 1  Surayev, Maksim Viktorovich  Commander 2  Skripochka, Oleg Ivanovich  Flight engineer 2  Ko, San  Spaceflight participant

Mission Report:

• ISS Expedition 17.
• Soyuz TMA-12 was launched on Apr 8, 2008. Aboard are the EO-17 crew of Sergey Aleksandrovich Volkov, Oleg Dmitreevich Kononenko, and the EP-14 crew consisting of Dr. Yi Soyeon of South Korea's KAIST (formerly the Korea Advanced Inst. of Science and Technology). Volkov is the son of former cosmonaut Aleksandr Volkov. Dr. Yi is flying as a 'spaceflight participant' (uchastnik kosmicheskovo poleta) under the Korean Astronaut Program, managed by Korea's KARI space agency. KARI is the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (Han-guk Hanggong Uju Yeon-guwon), based in Daejeon.
• Following a two day solo flight, the Soyuz docked to ISS on 10 Apr 2008 at 12:57 UT. Volkov and Kononenko replaced expedition 16 crew members Whitson and Malenchenko.
• A planned relocation of the Soyuz from ISS/Pirs to the ISS/Zarya nadir port during May 6-7 was postponed.
  
  

  Arrival at the ISS

  Recovery of Soyuz TMA-12

  
  
• On Oct 24, at 04:16:18 a.m. Moscow time Soyuz TMA-12 undocked from ISS and began its autonomous mission. According to the reentry mission plan, Soyuz braking thrusters will be burned at 06:45:18 a.m. Duration of the burn is 261.4 sec.
• Return of Sergey Volkov, Oleg Kononeko and Richard Garriott to the Earth on Oct 24, 2008 was normal. All Soyuz systems involved in descent and landing operations triggered in time. Crew was exposed to nominal g-loads. Initially planned for 07:37:27 Moscow time, the landing occured at 07:37:10 Moscow time (03:37:10 GMT), not far from the town of Arkalyik.

Astrophilately covers:

Launch cancel Baikonur, registered mail