TMA-15M « AmericaSpace

Kelly and Kornienko's Year-Long Mission Paves Way for Journey to Mars

By Ben Evans, on March 2nd, 2016

With 520 cumulative days in space, and 340 days from his (almost) one-year mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS), Scott Kelly is now the national record-holder for the longest single space mission and the greatest amount of spaceflight time of any U.S. citizen. Photo Credit: NASA

For the first time in almost […]

Record Breaker: Scott Kelly Becomes Most Experienced US Astronaut Tomorrow

By Ben Evans, on October 14th, 2015

Tomorrow, Scott Kelly will surpass fellow NASA astronaut Mike Fincke to become the United States’ most flight-experienced spacefarer. Photo Credit: NASA

At 5:02 a.m. EDT tomorrow (Thursday, 15 October), Scott Kelly—the incumbent skipper of the International Space Station (ISS) as Commander of Expedition 45—will make history when he becomes the United States’ most […]

After 28 Weeks in Orbit, Multi-National Soyuz TMA-15M Crew Returns Safely to Earth

By Ben Evans, on June 11th, 2015

The Soyuz TMA-15M spacecraft is seen as it lands with Expedition 43 commander Terry Virts of NASA, cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), and Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti from European Space Agency (ESA) near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan on Thursday, June 11, 2015. Virts, Shkaplerov, and Cristoforetti are […]

Second-Longest Space Station Expedition to End Thursday

By Ben Evans, on June 9th, 2015

The Soyuz TMA-15M crew, clad in their Sokol (Falcon) launch and entry suits, will return to Earth on Thursday, after more than 199 days in orbit. Photo Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)

After more than 28 weeks aloft, the “core” of Expedition 43—the 43rd crew to live and work aboard the International Space […]

NASA, ESA Confirm Soyuz TMA-15M Landing Delay; Sarah Brightman Postpones Mission

By Ben Evans, on May 13th, 2015

Passing their 100th day in space in the first week of March, the Soyuz TMA-15M crew of (from left) Terry Virts, Samantha Cristoforetti and Anton Shkaplerov could hardly have imagined that they would remain aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for up to 200 days. Photo Credit: NASA

NASA and its International Partners […]

Cristoforetti Set for Endurance Record, as Expedition 43 Return Reportedly Delayed to Mid-June

By Ben Evans, on May 9th, 2015

If Soyuz TMA-15M’s return date moves to the 11-13 June timeframe, Samantha Cristoforetti will establish a new record for the longest single space mission ever undertaken by a woman. Photo Credit: NASA

Only days before their scheduled 13-14 May return to Earth, it is understood that Soyuz TMA-15M crew members—and the “core” of […]

'Off On the Right Foot': Expedition 43 Underway at Space Station

By Ben Evans, on March 17th, 2015

Under the command of Terry Virts (far right), Expedition 43 will continue until mid-May. From left are Gennadi Padalka, Scott Kelly, Anton Shkaplerov, Samantha Cristoforetti, Mikhail Kornienko and Virts. Photo Credit: NASA

Only a week after the safe return to Earth of Soyuz TMA-14M and its crew of Russian cosmonauts Aleksandr Samokutyayev and […]

Soyuz TMA-14M Crew to Depart Space Station Wednesday After 5.5-Month Mission

By Ben Evans, on March 9th, 2015

Barry “Butch” Wilmore (left) will hand over command of the International Space Station (ISS) to Terry Virts (right) on Tuesday, 10 March, ahead of his crew’s return to Earth. This ceremony will officially end Expedition 42 and mark the beginning of Expedition 43. Photo Credit: NASA

After more than five months in orbit, […]

Hardware Movement and Reconfiguration to Highlight Space Station Operations in 2015 (Part 1)

By Ben Evans, on January 1st, 2015

2015 promises to be a dramatic year for the ISS. Four Soyuz spacecraft will launch toward the space station, delivering new crew members from Russia, the United States, Japan, Denmark, and the United Kingdom. Photo Credit: NASA

The 15th year of continuous occupation of the International Space Station (ISS) promises to be a […]

'For the Long Haul': NASA and International Partners Ready for Record-Setting 2015 Aboard Space Station

By Ben Evans, on December 31st, 2014

The Soyuz TMA-16M crew, scheduled to launch on 27 March 2015, includes Gennadi Padalka (center), who will become the world space endurance record-holder by the end of his six-month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Flanking him are the two year-long crew members, Scott Kelly (left) and Mikhail Kornienko, who will catapult […]

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