Mission type ISS crew rotation SATCAT no. 35010 Spacecraft type Soyuz-TMA 11F732 Period 1.5 hours Launch date 27 May 2009 | COSPAR ID 2009-030A Mission duration 188 days Manufacturer RKK Energia Dates 27 May 2009 – 1 Dec 2009 Landing date 1 December 2009 | |
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Operator Roscosmos State Corporation Members | ||
Expedition 20 soyuz tma 15 launch
Soyuz TMA-15 was a manned spaceflight to the International Space Station. Part of the Soyuz programme, it transported three members of the Expedition 20 crew to the space station. TMA-15 was the 102nd manned flight of a Soyuz spacecraft, since Soyuz 1 in 1967. The Soyuz spacecraft remain docked to the space station during Expedition 20 and Expedition 21 as an emergency escape vehicle. The mission marked the start of six-person crew operations on the ISS.
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Mission highlights
Soyuz TMA-15 was launched successfully by a Soyuz-FG carrier rocket from Site 1/5 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, at 10:34 UTC on 27 May 2009. It docked with the ISS at 12:34 UTC on 29 May 2009.
Roman Romanenko was the third second-generation space traveller. He was reported to have chosen Taymyr (Russian: Таймыр) as the mission callsign because it was the callsign on his father's first flight, Soyuz 26; however, the callsign Parus (Russian: Парус meaning Sail) was used for communications with the spacecraft. Robert Thirsk became the first Canadian to fly on a Soyuz; all previous Canadians in space had flown aboard Space Shuttles. Frank De Winne became the first European to be in command of the ISS.
The craft and crew returned to earth 1 December 2009.