Soyuz TMA-2

Soyuz TMA-2 was a Soyuz (Russian Союз ТМА-2, Union TMA-2) mission to the International Space Station (ISS) launched by a Soyuz FG launch vehicle. The spacecraft docked with the ISS 2003-04-28 and undocked 2003-10-27.[1]Soyuz TMA-2 was the second flight for the TMA modification of the Soyuz spacecraft, and the 6th Soyuz to fly to the ISS.

Soyuz TMA-2
OperatorRosaviakosmos
COSPAR ID2003-016A
SATCAT no.27781
Mission duration184 days, 22 hours, 46 minutes, 28 seconds
Orbits completed~3,005
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeSoyuz-TMA 11F732
ManufacturerRKK Energia
Launch mass7,136 kilograms (15,732 lb)
Crew
Crew size2 up
3 down
MembersYuri Malenchenko
Edward Tsang Lu
LandingPedro Duque
CallsignAgat (Agate)
Start of mission
Launch dateApril 26, 2003, 03:53:52 (2003-04-26UTC03:53:52Z) UTC
RocketSoyuz-FG
Launch siteBaikonur 1/5
End of mission
Landing dateOctober 28, 2003, 02:40:20 (2003-10-28UTC02:40:21Z) UTC
Landing siteNear Arkalyk
49°55′N 66°57′E
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude200 kilometres (120 mi)
Apogee altitude242 kilometres (150 mi)
Inclination51.67 degrees
Docking with ISS
Docking portZarya nadir
Docking date28 April 2003
05:56 UTC
Undocking date27 October 2003
23:17 UTC
Time docked182d 17h 21m

Yuri Ivanovich Malenchenko (left) and Edward Tsang Lu
Soyuz programme
(Crewed missions)
 
Soyuz TMA-2 launch

The commander is Yuri Ivanovich Malenchenko (Russia), and flight engineer Edward Tsang Lu (USA), and after docking with the ISS they exchanged with the resident crew on ISS and became the seventh station crew, called "ISS Expedition Seven". Alexander Kaleri and Michael Foale were assigned as the backup crew.

Crew
Position Launching crew Landing crew
Commander Yuri Malenchenko, RKA
Expedition 7
Third spaceflight
Flight Engineer Edward Tsang Lu, NASA
Expedition 7
Third and last spaceflight
Flight Engineer None Pedro Duque, ESA[2]
Second and last spaceflight

Original Crew
Position Crew
Commander Gennady Padalka, RKA
N/A (Taxi Flight)
Second spaceflight
Flight Engineer Pedro Duque, ESA
N/A (Taxi Flight)
Second and last spaceflight
Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov
N/A (Taxi Flight)
First spaceflight

Mission parameters
  • Mass: 7136 kg
  • Perigee: 200 km
  • Apogee: 250 km
  • Inclination: 51.7°
  • Period: 88.7 min

Docking with ISS
  • Docked to ISS: April 28, 2003, 05:56 UTC (to nadir port of Zarya)
  • Undocked from ISS: October 27, 2003, 23:17 UTC (from nadir port of Zarya)

Mission highlights

Originally the Soyuz missions to the ISS were all planned to be only taxi mission to deliver a new Soyuz spacecraft as the station's lifeboat every six month with a visiting crew, but not for crew exchange. Until the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster the same was planned for Soyuz TMA-2, a visiting crew consisting of commander Gennady Padalka and ESA-astronaut Pedro Duque were to spend about one week at the station and then return with the previous Soyuz TMA-1 spacecraft. The third seat might have gone to the Chilean Klaus von Storch as a Chilean space agency (Agencia Chilena del Espacio) cosmonaut, but even before the Columbia disaster it looked like his flight would not happen, and the seat would go to the Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kotov or to deliver freight to the station.

Soyuz TMA-2 landing

During his stay on the station, Malenchenko became the first person to get married in space. His bride was in Texas where long distance marriages are legal.

The spacecraft returned to Earth on October 28, with both the "Expedition 7" crew as well as Pedro Duque on board. Duque was launched with Soyuz TMA-3 and spent only one week on board of the ISS.

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References
  1. "ISS Expedition 7 Crew". NASA.
  2. "Cervantes mission concludes with Soyuz TMA-2 landing". ESA. October 28, 2003. Retrieved December 17, 2008.

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