Soyuz TMA-18M
{{short description|2015 Russian crewed spaceflight to the ISS}}
{{Infobox spaceflight
| name = Soyuz TMA-18M
| image = Exp46 undock2.jpg
| image_caption = Soyuz TMA-18M undocks from the ISS, 2 March 2016.
| insignia =
| mission_type =
| operator = Roskosmos
| COSPAR_ID = 2015-043A
| SATCAT = 40885
| mission_duration = {{time interval|2015-09-02 04:37|2016-03-02 04:25|show=dhm|abbr=on}}
| distance_travelled =
| orbits_completed =
| spacecraft =
| spacecraft_type = Soyuz-TMA 11F747 No.718
| manufacturer = RKK Energia
| launch_mass =
| landing_mass =
| launch_date = 2 September 2015
04:37:42 UTC
| launch_rocket = Soyuz-FG
| launch_site =
| landing_date = 2 March 2016
04:25:27 UTC
| landing_site =
| crew_size = 3
| crew_members = Sergey Volkov
| crew_launching = Andreas Mogensen
Aydyn Aimbetov
| crew_landing = Mikhail Korniyenko
Scott Kelly
| crew_callsign = Eridan
| crew_photo = Soyuz TMA-18M crew members during training sessions.jpg
| crew_photo_caption = (l-r) Mogensen, Volkov and Aimbetov
| orbit_epoch =
| orbit_reference = Geocentric
| orbit_regime = Low Earth
| orbit_periapsis =
| orbit_apoapsis =
| orbit_inclination =
| orbit_period =
| apsis = gee
| docking =
{{Infobox spaceflight/Dock
| docking_target = ISS
| docking_type = dock
| docking_port = Poisk
| docking_date = 4 September 2015
07:42:00 UTC
| undocking_date = 2 March 2016
01:02:30 UTC
| time_docked = 179 days, 17 hours, 20 minutes
}}
| previous_mission = Soyuz TMA-17M
| next_mission = Soyuz TMA-19M
| programme = Soyuz programme
(Crewed missions)
}}
Soyuz TMA-18M was a 2015 Soyuz spaceflight to the International Space Station. It provided the two twelve-months occupants (Scott Kelly and Mikhail Korniyenko) at the International Space Station with a fresh Soyuz capsule. TMA-18M was the 127th flight of a Soyuz spacecraft; the first having occurred in 1967. The ascent flight consisted of a Russian commander and two flight engineers from Denmark (ESA) and Kazakhstan respectively.{{Cite web|url=http://tass.ru/en/non-political/802901|title=Kazakhstani cosmonaut to fly to ISS in September in place of British singer Brightman|author=TASS|date=22 June 2015|access-date=22 June 2015|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000554/http://tass.ru/en/non-political/802901|url-status=dead}} The flight launched in September 2015 and returned to Earth in March 2016.
The Kazakh Aidyn Aimbetov is of the first Kazakh cosmonaut class, and the first to fly. The ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen became the first Dane in space.{{Cite web|url= http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/09/soyuz-tma-18m-one-expedition-crewmember-iss|title=Soyuz TMA-18M launches on two day trip to ISS|date=1 September 2015}}
The descent crew was the same Russian commander and the two twelve-months occupants in March 2016. Two of the ascent crew members returned to Earth with Soyuz TMA-16M in September 2015.
Crew
{{Spaceflight crew
|terminology = Crew Member
|position1 = Commander
|crew1_up = {{Flagicon|RUS}} Sergey Volkov
|agency1_up = RSA
|flights1_up = Third and last
|expedition1_up = Expedition 45/46
|position2 = Flight Engineer 1
|crew2_up = {{Flagicon|DEN}} Andreas Mogensen[http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/Astronauts/Andreas_Mogensen_set_for_Soyuz_mission_to_Space_Station_in_2015 Andreas Mogensen set for Soyuz mission to Space Station in 2015]
|agency2_up = ESA
|flights2_up = First
|crew2_down = {{Flagicon|RUS}} Mikhail Korniyenko
|agency2_down = RSA
|flights2_down = Second and last
|expedition2_down = Expedition 43/44/45/46
|position3 = Flight Engineer 2
|crew3_up = {{Flagicon|KAZ}} Aidyn Aimbetov
|agency3_up = KazCosmos
|flights3_up = First
|expedition3_up = Visiting
|crew3_down = {{Flagicon|USA}} Scott Kelly
|agency3_down = NASA
|flights3_down = Fourth and last
|expedition3_down = Expedition 43/44/45/46
}}
=Backup crew=
{{Spaceflight crew
|terminology = Crew Member
|references = {{Cite web|url=http://www.astronaut.ru/register/or_flight.htm|title=Орбитальные полёты|author=astronaut.ru|year=2013}}
|position1 = Commander
|crew1_up = {{Flagicon|RUS}} Oleg Skripochka
|agency1_up = RSA
|position2 = Flight Engineer 1
|crew2_up = {{Flagicon|FRA}} Thomas Pesquet
|agency2_up = ESA
|position3 = Flight Engineer 2
|crew3_up = {{Flagicon|RUS}} Sergey Prokopyev
|agency3_up = RSA
}}
Space tourist in the third seat
Originally the third member should have been the British singer Sarah Brightman as a space tourist, but on May 13, 2015, she announced she had withdrawn from training.[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-space-sarahbrightman-idUSKBN0NY2KN20150513 Singer Sarah Brightman calls off flight to space station] 13 May 2015
Japanese entrepreneur Satoshi Takamatsu trained as Sarah Brightman's backup, but he withdrew from the flight as the art projects he had planned to carry out would not be ready by the September launch date. He stated he would try for a later flight when his projects were ready to fly.{{cite news |url= http://spacenews.com/kazakh-cosmonaut-to-take-brightmans-place-on-soyuz-flight/ |title= Kazakh Cosmonaut To Take Brightman's Place On Soyuz Flight |author= Jeff Foust |date= 22 June 2015 |publisher= Space News }}
Russian businessman Filaret Galchev was offered the seat, but he realized that he didn't have the time to prepare himself for the flight.
Roscosmos chose the Kazakh cosmonaut Aidyn Aimbetov as an alternative instead.
Landing
The spacecraft successfully landed on 2 March 2016 04:26 UTC,{{cite web|url=http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2016/03/year-in-space-mission-end-soyuz-return-earth/|title=Year In Space mission ends with Soyuz TMA-18M return|publisher=nasaspaceflight.com|author=Gebhardt, Chris|date=2016-03-01|access-date=2016-03-06}} returning the ISS year long mission crew.
Later use
Today the spent Soyuz TMA-18M capsule is on display at the [https://tekniskmuseum.dk/english/ Danish Museum of Science & Technology] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190608221812/https://tekniskmuseum.dk/english/ |date=2019-06-08 }} in Elsinore.{{cite news|title=Historic space capsule 'touches down' in Denmark|url=http://cphpost.dk/news/historic-space-capsule-touches-down-in-denmark.html|access-date=8 May 2018|date=12 April 2018}}
{{Clear}}
See also
References
{{Reflist |2}}
External links
- {{Commons category-inline}}
{{Soyuz}}
{{Crewed ISS flights}}
{{Orbital launches in 2015}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soyuz TMA-M18}}
Category:Crewed Soyuz missions
Category:Spacecraft launched in 2015