Expedition 31

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ISS Expedition 31
Expedition 31 TRANSPORTERS crew poster.jpg
Promotional Poster
Mission typeISS Expedition
Expedition
Space station International Space Station
Began27 April 2012, 08:15 (2012-04-27UTC08:15Z) UTC [1]
Ended1 July 2012, 04:48 (2012-07-01UTC04:49Z) UTC [2]
Arrived aboard Soyuz TMA-03M
Soyuz TMA-04M
Departed aboard Soyuz TMA-03M
Soyuz TMA-04M
Crew
Crew size6
MembersExpedition 30/31:
Oleg Kononenko
André Kuipers
Don Pettit

Expedition 31/32:
Joseph M. Acaba
Gennady Padalka
Sergei Revin
ISS Expedition 31 Patch.png
Expedition 31 mission patch
Expedition 31 crew portrait.jpg
(l-r) Acaba, Padalka, Revin, Kuipers, Kononenko and Pettit 

Expedition 31 was the 31st long-duration expedition to the International Space Station (ISS). It began on 27 April 2012 with the departure from the ISS of the Soyuz TMA-22 spacecraft, which returned the Expedition 30 crew to Earth. [1] The expedition ended on 1 July 2012, when crew members Oleg Kononenko, André Kuipers and Don Pettit departed from the ISS aboard Soyuz TMA-03M, marking the beginning of Expedition 32. [2]

Contents

Crew

PositionFirst part
(April 2012 to May 2012)
Second part
(May 2012 to July 2012)
Commander Flag of Russia.svg Oleg Kononenko, RSA
Second spaceflight
Flight Engineer 1 Flag of the Netherlands.svg André Kuipers, ESA
Second spaceflight
Flight Engineer 2 Flag of the United States.svg Don Pettit, NASA
Third spaceflight
Flight Engineer 3 Flag of the United States.svg Joseph M. Acaba, NASA
Second spaceflight
Flight Engineer 4 Flag of Russia.svg Gennady Padalka, RSA
Fourth spaceflight
Flight Engineer 5 Flag of Russia.svg Sergei Revin, RSA
Only spaceflight
Source
NASA [3] [4] [5] [6]

Mission highlights

Soyuz TMA-22 departure

Expedition 31 formally began on 27 April 2012, with the departure from the ISS of the Soyuz TMA-22 spacecraft. Soyuz TMA-22 successfully returned Expedition 30 astronauts Dan Burbank, Anton Shkaplerov and Anatoli Ivanishin to Earth. [1] The ISS was left under the command of astronauts Kononenko, Kuipers and Pettit, who had arrived at the station aboard Soyuz TMA-03M on 23 December 2011.

Soyuz TMA-04M arrival

The final three members of Expedition 31 Acaba, Padalka and Revin arrived at the ISS aboard Soyuz TMA-04M, which launched on 15 May 2012, [7] and docked to the ISS on 17 May at 4:36 UTC. [8]

SpaceX Dragon test mission

SpaceX's unmanned Dragon spacecraft conducted a test rendezvous with the ISS during Expedition 31, as part of NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program; it was the first commercial spacecraft to rendezvous with the ISS. Following a series of delays, [9] Dragon launched on 22 May 2012, and berthed successfully with the ISS on 25 May, after conducting a series of orbital test manoeuvres. [10] [11] Dragon carried around 460 kilograms (1,010 lb) of cargo to the ISS, including food, clothing, a laptop computer and 15 student experiments. [10] After being loaded with 660 kilograms (1,460 lb) of downmass cargo, including completed experiments and redundant equipment, it undocked from the station and returned to Earth on 31 May 2012. [12] [13] Dragon landed intact in the Pacific Ocean and was successfully recovered, allowing SpaceX to begin regular cargo flights to the ISS. [14] The first such logistics mission, CRS SpX-1, launched successfully in October 2012. [15] [16]

Soyuz TMA-03M departure

Soyuz TMA-03M departed from the ISS on 1 July 2012, successfully returning Kononenko, Kuipers and Pettit to Earth. Their departure marked the formal end of Expedition 31, and the beginning of Expedition 32. [2]

In the 2012 The Big Bang Theory episode "The Friendship Contraction", character Howard Wolowitz revealed that he would be a member of a fictionalised Expedition 31. [17] Which flew Dimitri Rezinov, Mike Massimino (as a fictionalised version of himself) and Howard Wolowitz.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Pettit</span> American astronaut and engineer (born 1955)

Donald Roy Pettit is an American astronaut and chemical engineer best known for his orbital astrophotography and in-space inventions such as the microgravity coffee cup, which received the first ever patent for an object invented in space. He is a veteran of two long-duration stays aboard the International Space Station, one Space Shuttle mission and a six-week expedition to find meteorites in Antarctica. As of 2023, at age 68, he is NASA's oldest active astronaut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">André Kuipers</span> Dutch astronaut (born 1958)

André Kuipers is a Dutch physician and ESA astronaut. He became the second Dutch citizen, third Dutch-born and fifth Dutch-speaking astronaut upon launch of Soyuz TMA-4 on 19 April 2004. Kuipers returned to Earth aboard Soyuz TMA-3 11 days later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Kelly (astronaut)</span> American engineer and astronaut (born 1964)

Scott Joseph Kelly is an American engineer, retired astronaut, and naval aviator. A veteran of four space flights, Kelly commanded the International Space Station (ISS) on Expeditions 26, 45, and 46.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shannon Walker</span> American scientist and NASA astronaut

Shannon Walker is an American physicist and a NASA astronaut selected in 2004. She launched on her first mission into space on June 25, 2010, onboard Soyuz TMA-19 and spent over 163 days in space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akihiko Hoshide</span> Japanese astronaut and engineer (born 1968)

Akihiko Hoshide is a Japanese engineer, JAXA astronaut, and former commander of the International Space Station. On August 30, 2012, Hoshide became the third Japanese astronaut to walk in space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oleg Kononenko</span> Turkmen-Russian cosmonaut (born 1964)

Oleg Dmitriyevich Kononenko is a Russian cosmonaut. He has flown to the International Space Station five times as a flight engineer for Expedition 17 aboard Soyuz TMA-12, as a flight engineer on Expedition 30 and commander of Expedition 31 aboard Soyuz TMA-03M, as a flight engineer on Expedition 44 and Expedition 45 aboard Soyuz TMA-17M, and as commander of Expedition 58 and Expedition 59 aboard Soyuz MS-11 and Expedition 70 and Expedition 71 aboard Soyuz MS-24/MS-25.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Expedition 26</span> Mission to the International Space Station

Expedition 26 was the 26th long-duration mission to the International Space Station. The expedition's first three crew members – one US astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts – arrived at the station on board Soyuz TMA-01M on 10 October 2010. Expedition 26 officially began the following month on 26 November, when half of the crew of the previous mission, Expedition 25, returned to Earth on board Soyuz TMA-19. The rest of the Expedition 26 crew – one US astronaut, one Russian cosmonaut and one ESA astronaut – joined the trio already on board when their spacecraft, Soyuz TMA-20, docked with the station on 17 December 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kimiya Yui</span> Japanese pilot and astronaut (born 1970)

Kimiya Yui is a Japanese astronaut from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). He was selected for the agency in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Expedition 29</span> Long-duration mission to the ISS

Expedition 29 was the 29th long-duration expedition to the International Space Station (ISS). The expedition formally began on 16 September 2011, with the departure from the ISS of the Soyuz TMA-21 spacecraft. Astronauts Satoshi Furukawa, Michael Fossum and Sergey Volkov, who had arrived at the ISS aboard Soyuz TMA-02M in June 2011, began their Expedition 29 service at this time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soyuz TMA-02M</span> 2011 Russian crewed spaceflight to the ISS

Soyuz TMA-02M was a space mission that transported three members of the Expedition 28 crew to the International Space Station. TMA-02M was the 110th flight of a Soyuz spacecraft and the second flight of the improved Soyuz-TMA-M series. The Soyuz remained docked to the space station for the Expedition 28 increment to serve as a potential emergency escape vehicle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kjell N. Lindgren</span> American astronaut

Kjell Norwood Lindgren is an American astronaut who was selected in June 2009 as a member of the NASA Astronaut Group 20. He launched to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of Expedition 44/45 on July 22, 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soyuz TMA-22</span> 2011 Russian crewed spaceflight to the ISS

Soyuz TMA-22 was a crewed spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS). TMA-22 was the 111th flight of a Soyuz spacecraft, and transported three members of the Expedition 29 crew to the ISS. The spacecraft docked to the ISS on 16 November 2011, and remained docked to serve as an emergency escape vehicle until its undocking on 27 April 2012. Soyuz TMA-22 successfully landed in Kazakhstan on 27 April 2012 11:45 GMT.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soyuz TMA-03M</span> 2011 Russian crewed spaceflight to the ISS

Soyuz TMA-03M was a spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS). It launched on 21 December 2011 from Site One at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, carrying three members of Expedition 30 to the ISS. TMA-03M was the 112th flight of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, since the first in 1967, and the third flight of the modernised Soyuz-TMA-M version. The docking with the International Space Station took place at 19:19 Moscow Time on 23 December, three minutes ahead of schedule.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Expedition 30</span> 30th long-duration mission to the International Space Station

Expedition 30 was the 30th long-duration mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The expedition's first three crew members – Dan Burbank, Anton Shkaplerov and Anatoli Ivanishin – arrived on the ISS aboard Soyuz TMA-22 on 16 November 2011, during the last phase of Expedition 29. Expedition 30 formally began on 21 November 2011, with the departure from the ISS of the Soyuz TMA-02M spacecraft. The expedition ended on 27 April 2012, as Burbank, Shkaplerov and Ivanishin departed from the ISS aboard Soyuz TMA-22, marking the beginning of Expedition 31.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soyuz TMA-04M</span> 2012 Russian crewed spaceflight to the ISS

Soyuz TMA-04M was a spaceflight to Low Earth orbit that transported three members of the Expedition 31 crew to the International Space Station (ISS), which was launched on 15 May 2012 and landed on 17 September 2012. TMA-04M was the Soyuz spacecraft's 113th flight since its initial launch in 1967, and the fourth launch of the improved Soyuz TMA-M series. As per the mission plan, the spacecraft remained docked to the space station to serve as an emergency escape vehicle during Expedition 31.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Expedition 32</span> Long-duration mission to the International Space Station

Expedition 32 was the 32nd long-duration expedition to the International Space Station (ISS). It began on 1 July 2012 with the departure from the ISS of the Soyuz TMA-03M spacecraft, which returned the Expedition 31 crew to Earth, and concluded on 16 September 2012 with the departure of Soyuz TMA-04M. The Soyuz craft returned to Earth on 17 September 2012 at 6:53am Moscow Standard Time when touchdown was officially recorded by the Russian Federal Space Agency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Expedition 33</span> Long-duration mission to the International Space Station

Expedition 33 was the 33rd long-duration expedition to the International Space Station (ISS). It began on 16 September 2012 with the departure from the ISS of the Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft, which returned the Expedition 32 crew to Earth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Progress M-04M</span>

Progress M-04M, identified by NASA as Progress 36P, was a Russian Progress spacecraft launched in February 2010 to resupply the International Space Station. It was docked with the aft port of the Zvezda module of the station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anatoly Ivanishin</span> Russian cosmonaut (born 1969)

Anatoli Alekseyevich Ivanishin is a former Russian cosmonaut. His first visit to space was to the International Space Station on board the Soyuz TMA-22 spacecraft as an Expedition 29 / Expedition 30 crew member, launching in November 2011 and returning in April 2012. Ivanishin was the Commander of the International Space Station for Expedition 49.

References

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration .

  1. 1 2 3 "Soyuz TMA-22 returns to Earth with three outbound ISS crewmembers". NASASpaceflight.com, 27 April 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 Harding, Pete (1 July 2012). "Soyuz TMA-03M undocks from ISS and returns to Earth". NASASpaceFlight (not associated with NASA). Retrieved 3 July 2012.
  3. NASA HQ (2009). "NASA and its International Partners Assign Space Station Crews". NASA. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
  4. NASA HQ (2010). "NASA And Partners Assign Crews For Upcoming Space Station Missions". NASA. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
  5. ESA astronaut André Kuipers to spend six months on the ISS starting in 2011
  6. "Expedition 31 crew page". NASA. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
  7. "Three New Crew Members En Route to Station". Latest News. NASA. Archived from the original on 2 June 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2012.
  8. Harwood, William (17 May 2012). "Three-man crew docks at International Space Station". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  9. "SpaceX Dragon chokes at the last second". The Register . 19 May 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  10. 1 2 Clara Moskowitz (22 May 2012). "SpaceX Launches Private Capsule on Historic Trip to Space Station". Space.com. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  11. "Station grabs SpaceX Dragon ship". BBC. 25 May 2012.
  12. "SpaceX Dragon Capsule opens new era". Reuters via BusinessTech.co.za. 28 May 2012.
  13. "Splashdown for SpaceX Dragon spacecraft". BBC. 31 May 2012.
  14. "Its First Mission Done, SpaceX Looks to More Private Flights". The New York Times . 31 May 2012. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
  15. Bergin, Chris (31 August 2012). "SpaceX conduct successful WDR on their latest Falcon 9". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
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  17. "The Friendship Contraction". The Big Bang Theory. Season 5. Episode 15. 2 February 2012. 02:20 minutes in.