Soyuz MS-17

{{Short description|2020 Russian crewed spaceflight to the ISS}}

{{Use British English|date=June 2020}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}

{{Infobox spaceflight

| name = Soyuz MS-17

| names_list = ISS 63S

| image = Expedition 64 Launch (NHQ202010140005).jpg

| image_caption = Favor launches atop a Soyuz-2.1a

| mission_type = ISS crew transport

| operator = Roscosmos

| COSPAR_ID =

| SATCAT =

| mission_duration = {{time interval|14 October 2020, 05:45:04|17 April 2021, 04:55:07|show=dhm}}

| spacecraft = Soyuz MS-17 No. 747{{cite web|url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/soyuz-ms.htm|title=Soyuz-MS 01 - 20 (11F732A48)|publisher=Gunter's Space Page|date=16 April 2021 |access-date=27 April 2021}}

| spacecraft_type = Soyuz MS

| manufacturer = Energia

| launch_date = 14 October 2020, 05:45:04 UTC

| launch_rocket = Soyuz-2.1a No. Х15000-045

| launch_site = Baikonur, Site 31/6

| launch_contractor = RKTs Progress

| landing_date = 17 April 2021, 04:55:07 UTC{{cite press release |url=https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-astronaut-kate-rubins-crewmates-return-safely-to-earth |title=NASA Astronaut Kate Rubins, Crewmates Return Safely to Earth |work=NASA |date=16 April 2021 |access-date=17 April 2021}}

| landing_site = Kazakh Steppe, {{cvt|155|km}} southeast of Jezkazgan ({{Coord|47|19|32|N|69|39|35|E}})

| crew_members = {{Unbulleted list|Sergey Ryzhikov|Sergey Kud-Sverchkov|Kathleen Rubins|class=crew}}

| crew_callsign = Фавор (Favor)

| crew_photo = Expedition 64 inflight crew portrait (1) cropped.jpg

| crew_photo_caption = From left: Rubins, Ryzhikov and Kud{{nbhyph}}Sverchkov

| orbit_reference = Geocentric orbit

| orbit_regime = Low Earth orbit

| orbit_inclination = 51.66°

| apsis = gee

| docking = {{Infobox spaceflight/Dock

| docking_target = ISS

| docking_type = dock

| docking_port = Rassvet nadir

| docking_date = 14 October 2020, 08:48:43 UTC

| undocking_date = 19 March 2021, 16:38:27 UTC{{Cite web|url=http://www.spacefacts.de/english/e_relocations.htm|title=Relocations of Manned Spacecrafts [sic]|date=2021-03-21|access-date=2021-03-23}}

| time_docked = {{time interval|2020-10-14 08:48:43|2021-03-19 16:38:27|show=dhm}}

}}{{Infobox spaceflight/Dock

| docking_target = ISS (relocation)

| docking_type = dock

| docking_port = Poisk zenith

| docking_date = 19 March 2021, 17:12:35 UTC

| undocking_date = 17 April 2021, 01:34:04 UTC

| time_docked = {{time interval|2021-03-19 17:12:35|2021-04-17 01:34:04|show=dhm}}

}}

| insignia = Soyuz MS-17 mission patch.png

| insignia_caption = Mission patch

| programme = Soyuz programme

| previous_mission = Soyuz MS-16

| next_mission = Soyuz MS-18

}}

Soyuz MS-17 was a Soyuz spaceflight that was launched on 14 October 2020. It transported three crew members of the Expedition 63/64 crew to the International Space Station. Soyuz MS-17 was the 145th crewed flight of a Soyuz spacecraft. The crew consisted of a Russian commander and a Russian and American flight engineer.

The mission marked the first use of a new "ultrafast" two-orbit rendezvous flight plan with the Soyuz, which saw Soyuz MS-17 arrive at the ISS within approximately three hours after the launch.

On 19 March 2021, the crew of Soyuz MS-17 boarded their spacecraft to relocate it from Rassvet to Poisk to make way for the arrival and docking of the Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft, which launched on 9 April 2021 carrying cosmonauts Oleg Novitsky, Pyotr Dubrov and NASA astronaut, Mark T. Vande Hei to the ISS ahead of a six-month stay. The two spacecraft had a nine-day handover period before Soyuz MS-17 departed. This is necessary to avoid de-crewing the Russian Orbital Segment (ROS) of the ISS since no Russian cosmonaut was present aboard SpaceX Crew-1.

Crew

{{Spaceflight crew

| terminology = Crew member

| references =

| position1 = Commander

| crew1_up = {{flagicon|RUS}} Sergey Ryzhikov

| agency1_up = Roscosmos

| flights1_up = Second

| expedition1_up = Expedition 63/64

| position2 = Flight Engineer 1

| crew2_up = {{Flagicon|RUS}} Sergey Kud-Sverchkov

| agency2_up = Roscosmos

| flights2_up = First

| expedition2_up = Expedition 63/64

| position3 = Flight Engineer 2

| crew3_up = {{Flagicon|USA}} Kathleen Rubins

| agency3_up = NASA

| flights3_up = Second

| expedition3_up = Expedition 63/64

}}

= Backup crew =

{{Spaceflight crew

| terminology = Crew member

| position1 = Commander

| crew1_up = {{flagicon|RUS}} Oleg Novitsky

| agency1_up = Roscosmos

| position2 = Flight Engineer 1

| crew2_up = {{Flagicon|RUS}} Pyotr Dubrov

| agency2_up = Roscosmos

| position3 = Flight Engineer 2

| crew3_up = {{flagicon|USA}} Mark T. Vande Hei

| agency3_up = NASA

}}

= Reserve crew =

{{Spaceflight crew

| terminology = Crew member

| position1 = Commander

| crew1_up = {{flagicon|RUS}} Anton Shkaplerov

| agency1_up = Roscosmos

| position2 = Flight Engineer 1

| crew2_up = {{Flagicon|RUS}} Andrei Babkin

| agency2_up = Roscosmos

}}

Crew notes

Early planning had listed Russian cosmonaut Nikolai Chub as the mission's Flight Engineer 2, pending a NASA decision on whether they would purchase more seats on the Soyuz. In May 2020, NASA purchased a Soyuz seat and assigned NASA astronaut Kathleen Rubins to the Flight Engineer 2 position, backed up by astronaut Mark T. Vande Hei.

Originally Russian cosmonauts Anatoli Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner were set to fly as Commander and Flight Engineer 1 respectively. In February 2020, however, the two cosmonauts were moved to the Soyuz MS-16 flight due to medical issues with the commander of Soyuz MS-16, Nikolai Tikhonov. Ivanishin and Vagner were replaced by Ryzhikov and Kud-Sverchkov. Babkin remains an active cosmonaut, but has not yet been to space, while Tikhonov has retired from Roscosmos' astronaut corps.

Reacting to the COVID-19 pandemic, Roscosmos implemented a two-cosmonaut reserve crew to ensure the flight could go on with no delays, in the unlikely event both the prime and backup crews fall ill. It was not confirmed whether NASA planned to add an astronaut of their own to the reserve crew.

Gallery

Expedition 64 Preflight (NHQ202010140001).jpg

Expedition 64 Launch (NHQ202010140007).jpg

References

{{Reflist|30em|refs=

{{cite web|url=https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/10/14/soyuz-ms-17-mission-status-center/|title=Live coverage: Soyuz crew begins flight to International Space Station|first=Stephen |last=Clark|publisher=Spaceflight Now|date=14 October 2020|access-date=14 October 2020}}

{{cite web|url=https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/10/14/soyuz-crew-docks-with-international-space-station/|title=Soyuz crew docks with International Space Station|first=William |last=Harwood|publisher=Spaceflight Now|date=14 October 2020|access-date=14 October 2020}}

{{cite web|last1=Pearlman|first1=Robert Z.|title=Space station crew moves Soyuz spacecraft to new parking spot ahead of new arrivals|date=19 March 2021|url=https://www.space.com/soyuz-spacecraft-docking-port-move-space-station|publisher=SPACE.com|access-date=22 March 2021}}

{{cite web|url=http://www.russianspaceweb.com/soyuz-ms-17.html|title=Soyuz MS-17 to lift off with fresh ISS crew|publisher=RussianSpaceWeb.com|first=Anatoly|last=Zak|date=13 October 2020 |access-date=13 October 2020}}

{{cite web|url=https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/10/13/nasa-uses-final-purchased-soyuz-seat-for-wednesday-flight-to-station/|title=NASA uses final purchased Soyuz seat for Wednesday flight to station|first=William|last=Harwood|publisher=Spaceflight Now|date=13 October 2020}}

{{cite press release|url=https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-astronaut-kate-rubins-crewmates-to-discuss-upcoming-spaceflight|title=NASA Astronaut Kate Rubins, Crewmates to Discuss Upcoming Spaceflight|publisher=NASA|date=25 June 2020|access-date=4 September 2020}} {{PD-notice}}

{{cite web|url=https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/10/12/russian-rocket-for-next-space-station-crew-transferred-to-launch-pad/|title=Russian rocket for next space station crew transferred to launch pad|first=Stephen|last=Clark|publisher=Spaceflight Now|date=12 October 2020}}

{{cite web|url=http://www.spacefacts.de/mission/english/soyuz-ms-17.htm|title=Soyuz MS-17|first=Joachim|last=Becker|publisher=SpaceFacts|date=14 October 2020|access-date=14 October 2020}}

{{cite news|url=https://ria.ru/20191022/1560048196.html|title=Источник: НАСА хочет купить еще одно место в российском "Союзе"|trans-title=Source: NASA wants to buy another Soyuz seat |agency=RIA Novosti|language=ru|date=22 October 2019|access-date=23 October 2019}}

{{cite news|url=https://ria.ru/20200320/1568876126.html|title=Грузовой корабль "Прогресс" полетит к МКС по сверхбыстрой схеме|trans-title=The Progress cargo vehicle will fly to the ISS according to a superfast scheme|publisher=РИА Новости|language=ru|date=20 March 2020|access-date=11 June 2020}}

{{cite news|url=https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/2408|title=Status - Soyuz MS-17|date=1 April 2020|publisher=Next Spaceflight|first=Michael|last=Baylor|access-date=14 October 2020}}

{{cite web|url=http://www.russianspaceweb.com/2020.html#soyuz_ms17|title=Russian space program in 2020: Soyuz MS-17|publisher=RussianSpaceWeb.com|last=Zak|first=Anatoly|date=1 January 2020 |access-date=4 September 2020}}

{{cite web|url=http://www.spacefacts.de/iss/english/exp_64.htm|title=Expedition 64 Report|first=Joachim|last=Becker|publisher=SpaceFacts|date=11 June 2020|access-date=12 October 2020}}

{{cite news|url=https://tass.ru/kosmos/8456907|title=Роскосмос подтвердил подписание контракта на доставку астронавта NASA на корабле "Союз"|trans-title=Roscosmos has confirmed the signing of a contract for the delivery of a NASA astronaut on the Soyuz spacecraft|agency=ТАSS|language=ru|access-date=11 June 2020}}

{{cite tweet|user=anik1982space|number=1259112811407564801|date=9 May 2020|title=Вот и новые составы российских экипажей «Союза МС-17» стали известны из пресс-релиза аэропорта Жуковский.
Основной: Сергей Рыжиков, Сергей Кудь-Сверчков.
Дублирующий: Олег Новицкий, Пётр Дубров.
К сожалению, Николая Тихонова и Андрея Бабкина нет...|trans-title=So the new compositions of the Russian crews of the Soyuz MS-17 became known from the press release of the Zhukovsky airport. Primary: Sergey Ryzhikov, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov. Dubbing: Oleg Novitsky, Pyotr Dubrov. Unfortunately, Nikolai Tikhonov and Andrey Babkin are gone.|language=ru}}

{{cite web|title=Flight crew assignments|url=https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=740.msg2087213#new|publisher=NASASpaceFlight.com|access-date=11 June 2020}}

{{cite press release|title=NASA Assigns Astronaut Kate Rubins to Expedition 63/64 Space Station Crew|url=https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-assigns-astronaut-kate-rubins-to-expedition-6364-space-station-crew|publisher=NASA|work=M20-060|date=3 June 2020|access-date=5 June 2020}} {{PD-notice}}

{{cite press release|url=https://www.roscosmos.ru/28589/|title=Новости. Утвержден экипаж корабля "Союз МС-17"|trans-title=The crew of the Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft was approved |website=roscosmos.ru|publisher=Roscosmos|language=ru|access-date=11 June 2020}}

}}