Soyuz TMA-7

Launch, orbit & landing data: Designation  28877 / 05039A Launch date - time  01 Oct 2005 - 03:54:44 UT Launch site  Baikonur, LC1 Launch vehicle Soyuz-FG (#017) Soyuz designation 11F732 nº217 Mass (kg)  7200 kg Call Sign   Backup crew   Docking date - time  03 Oct 2005 - 05:26:58 UT Target spacecraft/port  ISS/Pirs Earth orbit on :    - Perigee / Apogee  193 / 245 km    - Inclination  51.66°    - Period   min Undocking date - time  18 Nov 2005 - 08:46 UT Redocking date - time  18 Nov 2005 - 09:05 UT Target spacecraft/port  ISS/Zarya 2e Undocking date - time  20 Mar 2006 - 06:49 UT 2e Redocking date - time  20 Mar 2006 - 07:11 UT Target spacecraft/port  ISS/Zvezda aft end 3e Undocking date - time  08 Apr 2006 - 20:28 UT from Zvezda SM Landing date - time  08 Apr 2006 - 23:47 UT Landing location  50° 40' 03.42'' N, 67° 21' 22.32"" E Flight Duration (d:hr:min)  189d 19h 53m Nbr orbits  2991 Landing crew (Exp.12 & VC-10):  Tokarev, Mc Arthur, Pontes (crew TMA-8)

Launched crew (Exp.12 & VC-9):

Mission Report:

• Soyuz spacecraft No. 217 was launched as Soyuz TMA-7 on Oct 1, 2005. Soyuz TMA-7 separated from the Soyuz-FG rocket′s final stage about 9 minutes after launch, beginning its rendezvous with the Station which was completed with docking at 05:27 UTC on Oct 3.
  The crew of TMA-7 consisted of Valery Tokarev (Soyuz commander), Bill McArthur (Soyuz flight engineer), and Greg Olsen (spaceflight participant). Once aboard Station, McArthur became the Expedition 12 commander and Tokarev the Expedition 12 flight engineer. Olsen is a tourist who paid the Russians for his ride.
  

• Soyuz TMA7 in space - Credit: RKK Energia.

  
  
• The Exp. 12 crew - Bill McArthur and Valeriy Tokarev - boarded the Soyuz TMA-7 ferry ship on Nov 18, 2005 and undocked from the Pirs module at 0846 UTC, backing off and then redocking with the Zarya module at 0905 UTC. The procedure allows spacewalks to be made from the Pirs module.
• At 06:49 UTC on Mar 20, 2006 McArthur and Tokarev flew Soyuz TMA-7 from the Zarya docking port to the docking port at the aft end of Zvezda, with docking at 07:11 UTC. This leaves Zarya free to welcome Soyuz TMA-8.
• McArthur, Tokarev and Pontes (launched with TMA-8) transferred to TMA-7 on Apr 8, 2006 closing the hatches at 17:15 UTC and undocking from Zvezda at 20:28 UTC, leaving Vinogradov and Williams as Expedition 13 in charge of the station. Soyuz TMA-7 fired its engines at 22:58 UTC for the deorbit burn and landed in Kazakhstan at 23:48 UTC.

Astrophilately covers:

Launch cancel Baikonur, registered mail

Special launch cancel Baikonur, signed by the crew. Credit: #411