Expedition 23 crew members Tracy Caldwell Dyson, Alexander Skvortsov and Mikhail Kornienko launch aboard the Soyuz TMA-18 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Soyuz Blasts off with Russian American Crew for Easter ISS arrival
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The Russian built Soyuz space TMA-18 capsule blasted off today (Good Friday, April 2) at 12:04 AM EDT (8:04 AM Moscow time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, with a Russian American crew for a 2 day trip through space that will carry them to the International Space Station (ISS) for a docking on Easter Sunday.
Soyuz TMA 18 launchOn board the capsule are an American female NASA astronaut on her 2nd trip to space, Tracy Caldwell Dyson and two male Russian rookies, cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov and Mikhail Kornienko.
soyuz TMA 18 launch with russian american crew on April 2, 2010 bound for the ISSUpon arrival at the ISS, this new space crew will restore the ISS to its full complement of six residents to complete the on orbit staffing of ISS Expedition 23. There is currently only a crew of three space flyers on board comprising Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kotov, NASA’s T.J. Creamer, and Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. They arrived aboard their Soyuz TMA-17 spacecraft on Dec 22 as Santas helpers bearing Christmas gifts.
Expedition 23 launches aboard the Soyuz TMA-18. Credit: NASA TVLess than 10 minutes after launch, the Soyuz reached orbit and its antennas and solar arrays were deployed. The crew arrives at the ISS on Easter Sunday April 4, orbiting some 200 miles above Earth. They will dock at the Poisk module.
Soyuz TMA 18 launchIt was from this historic launch pad that Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin blasted into space in 1961 on mankind’s first manned space flight. The Soyuz crew capsule has been in use by Russia since 1967.
Their yellow duckie “Quack” (no fooling) had a great ride to orbit, too!