Expedition 13 Launch

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Expedition 13

Preperations are underway for the March 29th Launch of the Expedition 13 crew to the International Spacen Station (ISS). The crew will be launched aboard the Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft (confusingly NASA uses a different numbering system to the Russians and refers to the spacecraft as Soyuz 12). As well as Expedition Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams the first Brazillian astronaut, Marcos Pontes, will also be aboard the Soyuz. Pontes will return to earth in Soyuz TMA-7 along with the Expedition 12 crew.

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March 18, 2006. Baikonur Cosmodrome.

The prime crew (Pavel V. Vinogradov (Russia), Jeffrey N. Williams (USA), Marcos C. Pontes (Brazil)) and backup crew (Fyodor N. Yurchikhin (Russia), Edward M. Fincke (USA), Sergey A. Volkov (Russia)) of the Soyuz TMA-8 transport spacecraft arrived to the cosmodrome to accomplish training and accept the spacecraft.





Source: S.P.Korolev RSC Energia - News

[Waspie_Dwarf]

March 20, 2006. Baikonur Cosmodrome.

The prime crew (P.V.Vinogradov, J. Williams, M. Pontes) and backup crew (F.N. Yurchikhin, M. Fincke, S.A. Volkov) of the Soyuz TMA-8 transport spacecraft accomplished the training during which they performed fit-check of individual cradles, leak and functional checks of spacesuits, worked with radio systems and flight documentation, familiarized with composition of ascent/descent cargoes, and had a lesson on science experiments.

Source: S.P.Korolev RSC Energia - News

[Waspie_Dwarf]

March 22, 2006. Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Transport vehicle Soyuz TMA-8 loaded with propellants and compressed gases was delivered to the Spacecraft Assembly and Testing Facility for final processing operations.

Source: S.P.Korolev RSC Energia - News

[Waspie_Dwarf]

March 23, 2006. Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft was docked with the transfer compartment in the Spacecraft Assembly and Testing Facility.

Source: S.P.Korolev RSC Energia - News

[Waspie_Dwarf]

March 24, 2006. Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Designers inspection of the Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft was completed.

Source: S.P.Korolev RSC Energia - News

[Waspie_Dwarf]

March 24, 2006. Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Payload shroud roll on to the spacecraft was performed.

Source: S.P.Korolev RSC Energia - News

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March 26, 2006. Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Orbital module of the Soyuz-FG launch vehicle, containing Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft was transported from the Spacecraft Assembly and Testing Facility to the Launch Vehicle Assembly and Testing Facility for integration.

Source: S.P.Korolev RSC Energia - News

[Waspie_Dwarf]

March 27, 2006. Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Orbital module of the Soyuz-FG launch vehicle, containing Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft was integrated with the launch vehicle in the LV Assembly and Testing Facility. This day a meeting of the Governmental Commission and the Technical Management was held where a decision was made to roll out the launch vehicle carrying Soyuz TMA-8 to the launch pad.

Continued below...

[Waspie_Dwarf]

...continued from above.

Source: S.P.Korolev RSC Energia - News

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Mission Managers Approve Expedition 13 for March 29 Launch

Image above: From left, Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov, Brazilian astronaut Marcos Pontes and Flight Engineer Jeffrey Williams pose for the media during a tour of the Soyuz assembly building at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Image credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Mission managers at the Soyuz Flight Readiness Review approved March 29 for the launch of Expedition 13 to the International Space Station. Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams await their launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Joining them for several days before returning home with Expedition 12 is Brazil’s first astronaut Marcos Pontes.

Expedition 12 Commander Bill McArthur and Flight Engineer Valery Tokarev have readied the station for the March 31 arrival of Expedition 13. McArthur, Tokarev and Pontes will undock from the station and land in Kazakhstan April 8.

Engineers on the ground alerted managers to concerns with the strength of handrails on the outside of the space station. Evaluations are under way to ensure the rails are sufficient and workarounds have been approved should a spacewalk be necessary.

Source: NASA - Missions - Station

[Waspie_Dwarf]

March 28, 2006. Baikonur Cosmodrome.

At 5:00 a.m. Moscow Time, the transporter with the Soyuz-FG launch vehicle and the Soyuz TMA-7 transport spacecraft left the Assembly and Testing Facility and arrived to the launch pad for the final pre-launch processing. The Soyuz-FG - Soyuz TMA-8 system was erected on the launcher. First launch day activities began.

Source: S.P.Korolev RSC Energia - News

[Waspie_Dwarf]

March 30, 2006. Baikonur Cosmodrome.

The Russian manned transport spacecraft Soyuz TMA-8, developed and manufactured by S.P.Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia, has been launched to the International Space Station (ISS) from the Launch Pad No.1 of the Baikonur launch site.

Source: S.P.Korolev RSC Energia - News

[Immortal Norway]

Edit: Happy now Waspie ?

Edited March 30, 2006 by Norwegian Phoenix

[Waspie_Dwarf]

What the "____" !!!??? 12 Posts in a road !!!

All of the posts are so new that you just could have edited the first one !!!

Edit: Like this...do you see how simple it is ?

And do you see how rude your post is? Try asking why something was done before assuming that someone else is stupid, you might learn that people aren't as thick as you think. Or, if you have a problem try using Personnel Messanger instead of shouting your head of in public. PM, do you see how easy that is?

I'm used to the Spaceflight News forum. On that forum there was a limit to the amount of images you could place in a single post. I assume it is the same here. As these posts were high in image content it made sense to post several times rather than attempt one huge post that would have been rejected anyway.

Edited March 30, 2006 by Waspie_Dwarf

[ROGER]

Great coverage as usual. The picture of the crewmen in the launch chair folded in to the fetal position made my 350# plus body hurt just looking at it. Space flight is out for people like me unless they put a Recliner Rocking Chair in as standard seating.

[PadawanOsswe]

yeah, from all the shuttles and lunar moduals ive seen today. apparently astronauts are prefferably short people.