Soyuz TMA-06M

Launch, orbit & landing data: Designation  38871 / 12058A Launch date - time  23 Oct 2012 - 10:51 UT Launch site  Baikonur, LC31/6 Launch vehicle Soyuz-FG (#xx) Soyuz designation 11F732 Nº 707 Mass (kg)  7220 kg Docking date - time  25 Oct 2012 - 12:29 UT Target spacecraft/port  ISS/Poisk module Earth orbit:    - Perigee / Apogee  409 x 432 km    - Eccentricity      - Inclination  51.6°    - Period  92.8 min Undocking date - time  15 March 2013 - 23:43 UT Deorbit burn date - time  16 March 2013 - 02:13 UT Landing date - time  16 March 2013 - about 03:06 UT Landing location  50°45'25"N, 67°20'32"E Flight Duration (d:hr:min)  146d 16h 15m Nbr orbits  2233 Landing crew  launch crew

Launched Crew

Launch crew: Novitsky, Tarelkin & Ford

Exp. 33/34 crew members, Cmd O. Novitskiy, bottom, FE K. Ford of NASA, and FE E. Tarelkin of ROSCOSMOS, top, wave farewell before boarding their Soyuz rocket

Backup Crew

Description:

• TMA-06M was the 115th flight of a Soyuz spacecraft, the first flight launching in 1967. Soyuz TMA-06M launch was also the first manned flight from the remote Site 31 pad since July 1984. The Soyuz will most likely remain on board the space station for the Expedition 33 increment to serve as an emergency escape vehicle.

Mission Report:

• Oct 16, 2012: Inspection puis encapsulation du soyouz TMA-06M aujourd'hui à Baïkonour.
  
  
  
• Soyuz TMA-06M (factory no. 707, ISS flight 32S) was launched on Oct 23 with Oleg Novitskiy, Yevgeniy Terelkin and Kevin Ford; the crew, callsign 'Kazbek', will become part of Ex-33 when they arrive at the Station.
  
  

  Crew in cabine

  Ariving at the station

  
  
• They docked with the Poisk module at 1229 UTC on Oct 25.
  
  
  
• Expedition 34 began at 2226 UTC on Nov 18, 2012 with commander Kevin Ford and flight engineers FE-1 Oleg Novitskiy and FE-2 Yevgeniy Tarelkin.
  Their ferry ship, Soyuz TMA-06M, is docked at the Poisk module.
• On Mar 13, 2013 the Station crew held a change-of-command ceremony as Chris Hadfield became Commander. Expedition 35 formally began, with Hadfield, Romanenko and Marshburn, when Soyuz TMA-06M undocked at 2343 UTC on Mar 15 carrying Ford, Tarelkin and Novitskiy.
• At 0213 UTC on Mar 16 Soyuz TMA-06M fired its engines to lower orbit from 399 x 417 km x 51.6 deg to about -25 x 407 km.
  It reentered the atmosphere at 0242 UTC and landed northeast of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan at about 0306 UTC Mar 16; following a one-day delay due to inclement weather in the area.
  A reduced Russian recovery team finally reached the Soyuz spacecraft about a half hour after landing. Television views showed the team helping Novitskiy, flight engineer Evgeny Tarelkin and outgoing station commander Kevin Ford out of the cramped crew module as they begin their initial re-adaptation to gravity after nearly five months in weightlessness.
• The Soyuz initially landed upright before being tilted on its side for servicing after touching down to wrap up 144 days in space and 142 days for Ford, Novitskiy and Tarelkin at the ISS. The three crew members were flown by helicopter to Kustanai, Kazakhstan en route to their homes in Houston and Star City, Russia.
  
  

  The Soyuz TMA-06M spacecraft lies passively on its side March 16 after bringing home Exp. 34 to a landing northeast of Arkalyk. Photo credit: Sergey Vigovskiy

  
  

Astrophilately covers:

Launch cancel Baikonur, registered mail

Launch and docking date and ISS board cancel, signed by the crew

Launch and docking cancel Moscou, ISS board cancel, signed by the TMA-06M and TMA-07M crew