ISS expedition 17

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Mission emblem
Mission emblem Expedition 17
Mission dates
Mission: ISS expedition 17
Crew: 3
Rescue ships: Soyuz TMA-12
Space station: ISS
Start: April 10, 2008, 12:57 UTC
Started by: Coupling of Soyuz TMA-12
The End: October 24, 2008, 12:16 AM UTC
Ended by: Decoupling from Soyuz TMA-12
Duration: 196d 11h 19min
Number of EVAs : 2
Total length of the EVAs: 12h 12min
Team photo
v. l. No. Greg Chamitoff, Garrett Reisman, Sergei Wolkow, Oleg Kononenko
v. l. No. Greg Chamitoff, Garrett Reisman, Sergei Wolkow, Oleg Kononenko
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ISS-Expedition 17 is the mission name for the 17th long-term crew of the International Space Station . The crew lived and worked on board the ISS from April 2008 to October 2008.

team

Substitute team

Mission description

The two space travelers Sergei Volkov and Oleg Kononenko started on April 8, 2008 together with the first South Korean astronaut Yi So-yeon on board the Soyuz TMA-12 for the ISS. For a long time a Soyuz team had consisted entirely of newbies again. On April 10 at 12:57 UTC , the spaceship docked at the Pirs airlock . At 15:40 UTC the hatches were opened and the new long-term crew and the South Korean Yi were received by the previous crew.

Yi So Yeon carried out 15 experiments of the Korean research program during her stay in the International Space Station. This included experiments in the fields of geophysics, medicine, biology, ecology, biotechnology and materials science. So she worked with a new, electromechanical system for quickly aligning a telescope camera with which lightning in the upper atmosphere was photographed. She also studied the effects of weightlessness and radiation on plant cells. These were rice, soybeans, rapeseed, radish, pepper, wild sesame, Arabidopsis (thale cress), orchids, dandelions, hibiscus and decorative baskets (cosmos). Plant growth has also been documented for educational purposes. Genetic and aging processes were also examined in a total of 1,000 fruit flies. Medical research included the regular measurement of intraocular pressure, a 24-hour ECG, the recording of vascular changes in the face (puffy face) using a special camera with various filters and grids as well as the documentation of changes in taste. Typical Korean food was served with it.

The research program also included earth observation and photography, the cultivation of various plant, animal and human cell types in the BioTron MBR mini reactor, the synthesis of zeolite crystals from nine samples of different concentrations, the production of porous metal-organic materials, and noise measurements in the Russian part of the ISS , the test of a new storage material (FRAM) in comparison to previous flash memories (NAND) as well as the testing of a new measuring device for low masses (50–200 grams). Conventional scales are useless in weightlessness. The determination of mass must be based on the ability of a body to hinder a change in movement (inertia).

Finally, the life of Yi So Yeon in the space station was documented photographically and on film. Videos were also shot for educational purposes. For this purpose, the behavior of different bodies in weightlessness was demonstrated. This included fans, pens, ropes, tops, water drops, feathers and paper flowers.

At times, Yi was supported by her colleagues in carrying out her experiments. Otherwise, the members of ISS Expedition 17 were busy unpacking, familiarizing themselves, initial medical examinations and taking on their daily duties, while their predecessors were busy preparing for departure, final examinations and increased training.

The crew of Expedition 16 with the commander Peggy Whitson and the flight engineer Yuri Malentschenko returned to Earth on April 19, 2008 after six months of work in space, together with the South Korean spaceman Yi. Due to an error in the separation of the landing module of the Soyuz TMA-11 , the re-entry took place roughly on a ballistic trajectory with a landing about 420 km west of the planned point.

During the “term of office” of Volkov, Kononjenko and Reisman, who was replaced by Gregory Chamitoff in June, the main work with the ESA transport spaceship Jules Verne, which moored at the stern of the station on April 3, was the decoupling of the Soyuz TMA spacecraft -12 from Pirs to Sarja-Nadir and the unloading of the Russian freighters Progress M-64 and M-65 as well as the further developed freighter Progress M-01M. In addition, the US space shuttle Discovery brought the large Japanese experimental laboratory Kibo (JEM-PM) in June, which was located on Harmony port side.

The main task, however, was the maintenance of the station and the supervision of a large number of experiments. From the Russian side, there were 47 studies in the fields of biology, medicine, biotechnology, materials science and space technology. NASA had 17 complex investigations on the schedule. In addition, around two dozen largely automatic experiments were supervised by the European Space Agency ESA. These had reached the ISS with the Columbus laboratory module.

As part of the Profilaktika experiment, therapies against muscle and bone degradation were tested in weightlessness. The Relaksatsija experiment was devoted to the study of chemiluminescent reactions and atmospheric luminous phenomena as a result of the interaction of engine exhaust gases with the Earth's upper atmosphere. The examinations mainly took place in the UV range. The aim of the Uragan experiment was to develop and test ground-based and space-based investigation methods for predicting natural or man-made disasters. The new experiment Vsplesk was used to study processes in the earth's crust, in the earth's magnetic field and in the Van Allen Belt, which are related to seismic activity and which can possibly be used for earthquake predictions. For this purpose, currents of high-energy charged particles were measured. In order to secure part of the apparatus to the outside of the station, the crew undertook an outboard operation.

Sonokard was concerned with the development of methods to record the vital functions of space travelers, especially the cardiorespiratory system (heart and lungs), without contact during sleep. A whole complex of experiments dealt with the investigation of the effects of weightlessness, radiation and movement in the earth's magnetic field on the viability, mobility and metabolism of cell cultures. These included bacterial plasmids as well as lactole- and interleukin-producing bacteria (e.g. Lactobacillus delbruecki).

On April 24, the orbit of the ISS was raised by about 4.5 km with the help of two of the four engines of the ATV-1 Jules Verne coupled to the stern of the station. The engines worked for 12 minutes and 20 seconds. The most important systems had been tested beforehand. Three more lifts and an evasive maneuver took place in the coming months.

Due to the hitherto unexplained cause of the ballistic reentry path and the associated higher loads for the crew, the reparking of the Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft, which was actually scheduled for May 6, was postponed to a later date. If re-docking at Zarya-Nadir had failed, the spaceship would have had to land unchecked, which they wanted to avoid.

May was largely devoted to scientific work, routine maintenance, and preparation for the arrival of the next space shuttle. Above all, this included checking tools and equipment in the Quest lock module and checking the spacesuits. In addition, the handling of the station manipulator system was trained. This was mainly needed for the coupling of the large Japanese laboratory module Kibo.

The rest of the time on board was filled with assembly, commissioning, tests and experiments for the regular crew. In addition, the normal operation of the station was filled with regular maintenance work as well as operational controls of vital equipment such as life support, energy system or position control.

The diverse experiments also included ELaboratore Immagini TElevisive - Space 2 (ELITE-S2), a cooperation between NASA and the Italian space agency ASI. The three-dimensional recording of the movements of the space travelers is intended to improve the ergonomics of future workplaces in weightlessness. In addition, conclusions can be drawn about the interaction of vision, processing in the brain and movements and the effects of weightlessness on breathing can be examined. In the material experiment Coasenning in Solid Liquid Mixtures 2, the growth of larger particles at the expense of smaller ones in liquid metal, in this case tin, is recorded. The ANITA measuring system analyzes the air using interferometry and can thus detect traces of 32 potentially harmful gases.

On September 5, the European transporter "Jules Vernes" , which had been docked since April 3, decoupled from the station. The maiden flight of an automated transfer vehicle was an overwhelming success. “Jules Verne”, as the ATV is called, was not just a cargo delivery, tugboat and waste disposal company for the crews of the International Space Station. During the five months in which it became part of the station, it also served as a storage room, sleeping area, hygiene area, experimental stage and cooling room. It was not originally intended for these tasks. The generous space, the quietly working life support, the discretion at the end of the longitudinal axis of the station and the slightly lower temperature ensured that Jules Verne was used more often and more diversely than planned. On March 9, the first Ariane 5 ES brought the ESA cargo transporter into space. A minimal problem with the drive of the transporter was quickly resolved. After that, the parking orbit was quickly reached. After two very successful demonstration days, during which automatic approach, station stop and escape maneuvers using GPS, radar and laser-based navigation were tested, the ATV-1 got the green light for docking. This maneuver took place on April 3rd. A short time later, the crew was able to enter the spacecraft and inspect it. Jules Verne brought 5.5 tons of cargo, including food, water and fuel. You quickly got used to the qualities of the temporary additional module. Finally, the ATV was loaded with rubbish, older or defective equipment and prepared for its final journey. The uncoupling took place on September 5th. After further orbit maneuvers, Jules Verne ignited his engines for the last time on September 29th. Since these fired against the direction of flight, speed and orbit height decreased until the spacecraft finally burned up as falling stars in a fireworks display that was carefully observed from Earth.

In the following years, the Japanese Kibō laboratory module was provided with additional equipment, mainly from the associated logistics module. Various researches were continued, the station was kept in function, daily training was completed and every now and then some free time was enjoyed.

Soyuz-TMA 13 started on October 12th with the successor crew, consisting of Michael Fincke and Yuri Lontschakow as well as the space tourist Richard Garriott. After a good week of working together with all handover activities, Sergej Volkov, Oleg Kononjenko and Richard Garriott returned safely to earth with Soyuz TMA-12 in the early morning hours of October 24th. The landing proceeded normally aerodynamically, so that one could see the cause of the last hard landings in the dismantled explosive bolt.

Progress M-64 and M-65

The unmanned Russian freighter Progress M-64 started on May 14, 2008 at 20:22 UTC from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for the ISS . For the first time, this van has a digital control system. A total of 2.1 tons of food, water and oxygen were on board. On May 16, 2008 at 21:39 UTC, Progress M-64 berthed at the ISS as scheduled. The freighter loaded with garbage was cast off on September 1, 2008.

The unmanned spacecraft Progress M-65 took off on September 10 and docked with the ISS two days later. It brought around 2.5 tons of supplies, which were transported to the station and inventoried.

Arrival of Kibō with the Discovery

The next visit to the ISS was from Space Shuttle Discovery , which took off on May 31, 2008. On board the STS-124 mission was the main part of the Japanese laboratory module Kibō (Japanese Experiment Module - Pressurized Module; JEM-PM) and the Japanese robotic arm. Gregory Chamitoff came to the ISS as a new crew member, replacing Garrett Reisman, who flew to the ISS on the STS-123 space shuttle mission in March 2008 and, after three months in space, to earth on June 14, 2008 with STS-124 returned. Chamitoff stayed on the ISS until November 2008 and was replaced by Sandra Magnus on the STS-126 mission .

On June 3, preparations were made for the docking of Kibo to the station in the course of an exit from Garan and Fossum. For this purpose, the coupling nozzle was inspected, covers removed and locks released. In the evening, Kibō was lifted from the payload bay of the Discovery, docked on the port side of the Harmony node module and put into operation the next day. A second exit on June 5th served to put the module into operation. For example, covers on the Japanese manipulator arm and a docking point were removed. The Japanese logistics module from Harmony-Zenit was implemented here the next day. The outboard work was completed on June 8th with the removal of launch barriers.

The Discovery also brought a variety of materials and equipment for the station. This also included a pump that could be used to repair a defective toilet in the ISS. After almost two weeks of flight time, the space shuttle landed on June 14th on the grounds of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida (USA).

Space exit to inspect the Soyuz spaceship

On July 10, 2008, the Soyuz spacecraft TMA-12 was inspected from the outside during a 6-hour and 18-minute space exit by Sergei Volkov and Oleg Kononenko and one of the explosive bolts, which cut off the landing module on return before re-entry, was checked for an accurate Investigation dismantled on earth. A failure in the separation mechanism has been identified as the likely cause of the Soyuz TMA-10 and Soyuz TMA-11 ballistic landings .

Second space exit

On July 15, 2008, Volkov and Kononenko conducted another spacecraft activity. They installed the Vsplesk experiment on the outer shell of the ISS and removed the Biorisk experiment for it. They also prepared the docking point on the Zvezda module for the Russian Poisk module , which docked fully automatically on November 12, 2009. The exit ended after 5 hours and 54 minutes at 23:02 UTC.

See also

Web links

Commons : ISS Expedition 17  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

swell

  1. ^ RIA Novosti: Space travel: crew of the 17th expedition to the ISS confirmed
  2. ↑ NASA: Expedition 17 Crew Docks with Space Station (English)
  3. ^ RIA Novosti: ISS crew recovered by rescue workers after landing , April 19, 2008
  4. ^ RIA Novosti: First digital space transporter Progress-M 64 launched to the ISS
  5. ↑ RIA Novosti: Russia's Progress M-64 space transporter docked at the ISS
  6. ↑ NASA: Russian Spacewalkers Retrieve Soyuz Pyro Bolt (English)
  7. ↑ NASA: Russian Spacewalkers Outfit Station's Exterior (English)