Soyuz TMA-05M
| Operator | Roskosmos |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | 2012-037A |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Soyuz-TMA 11F747 |
| Manufacturer | RKK Energia |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 3 |
| Members |
Yuri Malenchenko Sunita Williams Akihiko Hoshide |
| Callsign | Agate |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 15 July 2012, 02:40:03 UTC |
| Rocket | Soyuz-FG |
| Launch site | Baikonur 1/5 |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | 19 November 2012, 01:53:30 UTC |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Docking with ISS | |
|
 (l-r) Malenchenko, Williams and Hoshide
Soyuz programme
(Manned missions) |
|
Soyuz TMA-05M is the 114th flight of a Soyuz spacecraft. It was launched on 15 July 2012, transporting three members of the Expedition 32 crew to the International Space Station (ISS). The Soyuz remained docked to the ISS throughout the mission to serve as an emergency escape vehicle. The launch also coincided with the 37th anniversary of the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project. Soyuz TMA-05M successfully returned to Earth on 19 November 2012.
Soyuz TMA-05M was launched atop of a Soyuz FG rocket at 2:40 GMT on July 15, 2012 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. Following the flawless launch, the Soyuz spacecraft successfully achieved orbital insertion 9 minutes later and began its 34-orbit journey to the Space Station.
As part of its phasing maneuvers to catch up with the ISS, 3.5 and 4.5 hours into the mission, the Soyuz Spacecraft performed two large SKD Main Propulsion System Burns changing the vehicle's speed by 41.5 m/s and 23.9 m/s, respectively. These burns were followed by a minor maneuver on July 16 for a velocity change of two m/s. The on time automated docking sequence began at 2:31 GMT on July 17, 2012.
The Crew activated the KURS Navigation System that provides accurate range and velocity data for the spacecraft's on-board computers. The station crew of Padalka, Revin and Acaba got up early changing their sleep cycles to support the rendezvous and docking operations of the Soyuz. Although the rendezvous and docking sequence is fully automated, cosmonaut Malenchenko and Russian mission controllers in Korolev, Moscow monitored the systems as well. As Soyuz TMA-05M approached the ISS, the spacecraft completed a series of trajectory correction maneuvers. At a range of 8 Kilometers to the space station, the Soyuz activated its TV system needed for automated operation monitoring. At a distance of 300 meters to the space station, Russian flight controllers issued a "GO" for the Flyaround to align Soyuz TMA-05M with the docking port on the Rassvet Module.
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