Soyuz TMA-6

Launch, orbit & landing data: Designation  28640 / 05013A Launch date - time  15 Apr 2005 - 00:46:25 UT Launch site  Baikonur, LC1 Launch vehicle Soyuz-FG (#014) Soyuz designation 11F732 nº216 Mass (kg)  7 250? kg Flight Crew  Krikalyov, Sergei (CDR - Russia)  Phillips, John (FE - USA)  Vittori, Roberto (ESA) Initial Earth orbit on 17 Apr - 01:40 UT: Perigee / Apogee  351 x 360 km Inclination  51.65° Period  91.65 min Docking date - time  17 Apr 2005 - 02:20:23 UT Target spacecraft/port  ISS/Pirs Earth orbit on :    - Perigee / Apogee  198 / 245 km    - Inclination  51.66°    - Period   min Undocking date - time  19 Jul 2005 - 10:38 UT (from Pirs) Redocking date - time  19 Jul 2005 - 11:08 UT Target spacecraft/port  ISS/Zarya Undocking date - time  10 Oct 2005 - 21:49 UT Landing date - time  11 Oct 2005 - 01:10 UT Landing location  57 km northeast of Arkalyk 50° 44' N, 67° 25' 41" E Flight Duration (d:hr:min)  179d 00h 23m Nbr orbits  2817 Landing crew (Exp.11 & VC-9):  Krikalyov, Phillips & Olsen

Launched crew (Exp.11 & VC-8)::

Mission Report:

• Mission ISS-10S.
• The Soyuz TMA-6 spaceship was launched from Baykonur on 15 Apr 2005 at 00:46 UT on the Soyuz-FG No. 14 launch vehicle. It entered orbit at 00:55 UT and docked with the Station's Pirs module at 02:20 UT on 17 Apr 2005. Commander is Sergey Krikalyov of Russia; Flight engineer-2 is John Phillips of NASA. Together they make up the Space Station's Expedition 11. After docking Krikalyov became the Station commander and Phillips became the Station flight engineer and Science Officer. Soyuz flight engineer-1 was Roberto Vittori of the European Space Agency, on the ENEIDE mission, designated EP-8 (visiting crew 8).
• It's interesting to note that Russia has managed a very regular launch schedule to the Station since 2000, with launches every April and October (the April 2000 launch was the last flight to Mir, and was followed by the first Soyuz flight to ISS in Oct 2000).
• On Jul 19, 2005 the Station crew flew Soyuz TMA-6 from the Pirs docking port, undocking at 10:38 UTC, and redocked with the Zarya docking port at 11:08 UTC.
• Soyuz TMA-6 undocked from the Zarya module at 2149 UTC on Oct 10, 2005. On board where the Exp. 11 crew Sergey Krikalyov and John Phillips, and EP-9 tourist Greg Olsen.
  The deorbit burn at 0019 UTC on Oct 11 lowered the orbit from 346 x 348 km to about -40 x 348 km; the orbital and service modules separated at 0043 UTC and after reentry the spacecraft landed at 0109 UTC on Oct 11. There was some concern due to an apparent small pressure leak in the spacecraft, but the crew were recovered safe and well.

Astrophilately covers:

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