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ISS-11 mission chronicle: October

Coverage of Expedition 11’s stay in orbit for October 2005.

The first week of October was Sergei and John’s last week in orbit.

1/10

Saturday; off-duty, except for the usual chores and 3 hours of уборка, housework. Soyuz TMA-7 launched flawlessly on time early this morning at 03:54:53 GMT with the replacement crew of Expedition 12, and space flight participant Greg Olsen (who will return with Sergei & John). Docking is set for 05:32 GMT on 3 October. Sergei completed a 55-minute session in the Chibis lower-body negative-pressure suit, assisted by John, and a fifth session with the biomedical MBI-9 “Pulse” experiment, as well as the SOZh maintenance.

At 03:15 GMT, Sergei conducted a live TV interview with Peter Tolstoy, an anchorman of the Voskresnoye Vremya (Sunday Times) Show on Moscow’s Channel One, responding to a number of questions uplinked beforehand. [Q: “Here, on Earth, there is a lot of talk about noodles and camcorders that the Japanese are sending to you. What do you think about this up there in space?” A: “This is the second time that the Russian Segment of the ISS is getting a Japanese Hi-Def camcorder. The first occasion was when a similar camcorder was used for a year and a half by the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Expeditions. Scenes of Russian cosmonauts living at the Space Station which were recorded by the first HDTV camcorder were shown all over Japan. Today, Japan is one of our most reliable and steadfast partners. We have effective cooperation; run interesting experiments at the ISS developed by Japanese specialists. For HDTV camcorders, the crucial question is the CCD matrix degradation rate. Initially, we together with Valerii Tokarev will be the first to test the camcorder at the ISS, while overall it will be used at the ISS for at least a year. And yes, indeed, I will be eating noodles and the scene will be taped on the Hi-Def camcorder. Besides that, we will shoot the Earth through the window and will demonstrate the effects of zero gravity at the Station. During shooting, I will be the actor while Valerii Tokarev is going to be the cameraman.”]

News & reports links

1/10 On-Orbit Status Report.

2/10

Sunday; filled with activities for the upcoming TMA-7 docking. A short day for Sergei and John as they went to bed at 17:00 rather than 21:30 GMT, and woke up at 01:30 rather than 06:00 GMT. Sleep time tomorrow was to be at 19:30. Station day hours will be 07:30-11:00 GMT for the rest of the transition period. Sergei did the SOZh maintenance and “At 12:10 GMT, Sergei Krikalyov had his weekly PFC (private family conference) via S-band/audio and Ku-band/NetMeeting video.”

News & reports links

2/10 On-Orbit Status Report.

3/10

Week 24 for Expedition 11. Tonight Expedition 11 completes 172 days in space (170 aboard ISS), with seven days to go. Soyuz TMA-7 docked at 05:27 GMT; hatches opened at ~08:13 GMT. The incoming crew were greeted with traditional bread-and-salt. Sergei transferred the TMA-7 payload container and experiments to the ISS (tracked with the Inventory Management System). He powered down the Elektron O2 generator (reactivate on 6/10). The crews did the mandatory emergency evacuation drill, then began handover activities. “FE-12 Valerii Tokarev swapped out Greg Olsen’s IELK, ИЕЛК (individual equipment & liner kit, Russian: USIL) between the two Soyuz vehicles, TMA-6 & TMA-7, including the tailored Sokol spacesuit after its dryout, and installed Olsen’s personal seat liner in his couch in TMA-6. He also relocated the ISS Emergency Book from the TMA-7 spacecraft into the TMA-6 vehicle. [A crewmember is not considered transferred until her/his IELK, AMP (ambulatory medical pack) and ALSP (advanced life support pack) drug kit are transferred. After today’s installation of the VC-9 IELK, Olsen is now considered TMA-6 crew, and Expedition 12 has technically begun its residence aboard ISS.]”

News & reports links

4/10

A busy day as handovers continue. “Day 2 of joint Exp.11/Exp.12 operations. Week 24 of Increment 11. Day 173 days in space (171 aboard ISS) for Expedition 11, with 6 days to go. Also: Day 2510 since first ISS launch (FGB/Zarya), and 1797 days of cumulative crew time aboard ISS.” Sergei and Valerii worked on Soyuz activities, then Valerii watched as Sergei serviced the Russian BMP, БМП harmful impurities removal system. They then completed part 2 of the BIO-10 “Intercellular Interaction” experiment. Sergei set up the AVR High Resolution Equipment at Zvezda window #9 and took some Earth photos, checked airflow sensors in the Russian segment and did the SOZh maintenance as a demonstration to the incoming crew. “At ~17:20 GMT, all five crewmembers participated in a live interactive TV news conference with U.S. and Russian media assembled at NASA Centers and TsUP/Moscow, via U.S. assets (Ku-band with S/G2) from the Lab module. [Of the 26 minutes time slot, 14 min were for U.S. med ia and 12 min. for Russian media. This was another in-flight event utilizing the new NASA multi-channel television digital satellite system. Due to the signal encoding and decoding required, the new digital satellite system has a 4-second audio delay between ISS and ground reception, and vice versa, for which the crew is prepared.]”

News & reports links

TsUP news release:

The joint flight continues

4 October, 2005. The MCC-M press-service.

The second day on board the International Space Station (ISS) work together Sergei Krikalyov, John Phillips, Valerii Tokarev, William McArthur and Gregory Olsen.

The transfer of change between the crews of the eleventh and twelfth basic expeditions and the execution of the program of scientific studies continues in accordance with the selected flight plan.

Today Valerii Tokarev is scheduled to prepare work equipment for conducting the biotechnological experiments “Bioekologiya” and “Conjugation”, and Gregory Olsen will conduct photography of the Earth’s surface and will carry out an experiment on the study of species composition of the microorganisms which dwell on the ISS.

At the end of the workday an onboard press conference with the crews for the accredited journalists will take place. The beginning of the press conference is at 21 hours 22 minutes Moscow time.

According to the results of radiocommunications and the data of telemetry, at the orbital Station everything is in order.

Russian version, Русская версия: Совместный полет продолжается.

5/10

5 days to go for Expedition 11. The day was occupied by handover activities. Valerii serviced the Russian BMP harmful impurities removal system, observed by Sergei (the Elektron is to be switched on tomorrow). Sergei completed the first part of his final training session with the Chibis lower-body negative pressure suit. Sergei also spent some time assisting Greg Olsen with various activities (a medical heart function test and some filming activities, as well as a ham radio exchange with Greg’s old school). Sergei also did the SOZh maintenance and some other tasks.

News & reports links

5/10 On-Orbit Status Report.

6/10

Another busy day of handovers. Sergei checked the temperature of the BIO-12 “Regeneration” experiment. “In a special demo/commercial called SCN (Space Cup Noodles) for Japanese industry, the ‘taxi’ visitor heated two packs of noodles in the water heater, then ate the ball-shaped noodles before the backdrop of the Service Module (SM) starboard crew cabin window. The carefully scripted scenes were filmed by CDR Krikalyov with the Japanese Sony HVR-Z1J high-definition camcorder, after a rehearsal of the script.” Sergei & Valerii conducted a new experiment called NOA (Nitric Oxide Analyzer) for VC-9. Sergei unstowed the Matryoshka-R “Phantom” hardware and disassembled it for transfer to Soyuz TMA-6 and return to Earth (recording the procedure with the Nikon D1X). He & Valerii checked the airflow sensors in the Russian segment. Sergei helped Greg with more video footage.”

At ~10:00 GMT, the crew conducted a live TV conference with the Russian Federation Prime Minister, Mikhail Efimovich Fradkov. [The Prime Minister, who had held high Government positions during the 90’s and served as Chairman of the Board and General Director of an insurance company from 1998-1999, again became a Government official in 1999 and was appointed to his present position in March 2004. The teleconference was rescheduled by Fradkov such that a temporary ISS attitude change to XPOP required by the earlier time was not necessary after all. During the morning IMMT (ISS Mission Management Team) meeting, Moscow extended thanks to NASA/Houston flight controllers for their extensive support in planning for this event.]

At 18:30, the two Expedition crews engaged in a live TV exchange with two US media, today with the Houston Chronicle (Mark Carreau) and SPACE.COM (Tariq Malik). 

News & reports links

  • 6/10 On-Orbit Status Report.
  • Space.com: “Space Station Crew Change Going Well, Astronauts Say”. “Every bit of new science hardware and space station construction is vital to human exploration of space, Krikalyov said. ‘Our [space] station construction is the biggest technical experiment…where we learn how to build the space station and how to create something different,’ Krikalyov said. ‘I think this experiment is still going, and going well.’ ”

7/10

176 days in space (174 aboard ISS) for Expedition 11, with 3 days to go. A day filled with handover activities. Sergei prepared the current BIO-5 Rasteniya-2 (“Plants-2”) experiment for return to Earth. He filmed Greg Olsen again for the Japanese “Space Cup Noodles” demo/commercial and later provided assistance for photography. “Krikalyov, Tokarev and Olsen had several hours reserved for scheduled commemorative (Russian: ‘symbolic’) activity, a standard tradition for visiting guests and departing expedition crewmembers, usually consisting of signing and stamping envelopes and imaging other memorabilia. [VC9 items to be returned for Greg are on-orbit-stamped postcards, photos, wine labels, flags, cap, a book prototype, a T-shirt and other items. The crew also hand stamped non-Olsen envelopes that originally arrived with Progress 10P and in a kit for Roskosmos. The symbolic activities were photographed and videotaped with the Nikon D1X and Sony DSR PD-150P.] Both crews completed their scheduled exercise (the first for ISS-12); Greg was not assigned any. Valerii did the SOZh maintenance. At 13:20 GMT, Sergei assisted Greg with another ham radio session. The Elektron O2 generator was successfully reactivated yesterday.

News & reports links

From Novosti Kosmonavtiki news №505:

07/10/2005/13:58 – In the capital the first open conference “Experiment in Space” took place

On Friday, in the Moscow urban palace of children’s (youthful) creation on Vorobyevs mountains took place the first open practical-scientific conference “experiment in space”, transfers RIA News. Participants in the conference were greeted from onboard the International Space Station (ISS) by airman-cosmonaut Sergei Krikalyov.

Within the framework of conference the competition of schoolboys to the best project of experiment into space is passed. “To its participants it is proposed to try their forces in the development of research designs, including the creation of model, the actually acting instruments and systems for conducting of studies in space, to participate in development and conducting of experiments on board ISS or transport spacecraft,” they reported the manager by the sector of the promising space programs of palace Boris Pshenichner.

The competition winners will obtain the possibility to conduct the modification of projects and their preparation for the realization under the management of scientists and specialists.

The schoolboys arrived with their ideas to the competition from the Voronezh, Chelyabinsk, and Kaluga provinces, Korolev, Khimok and other municipal and Russia regions. The idea and defending of the projects will be continued to the end of the day.

“The program is calculated for a prolonged time, work with the schools constantly is conducted. Competition will go also subsequently,” added Pshenichner.

Russian version, Русская версия: В столице прошла первая открытая конференция «Эксперимент в космосе».

8/10

Day 6 of joint crew operations; 2 days left for Expedition 11. More handover activities, with scheduled activities done jointly so the incoming crew could learn from the outgoing. Sergei completed the first part of his final 1.5-hour training session in the Chibis ODNT, ОДНТ lower-body negative-pressure suit. In the TMA-6 he dismantled and removed a temperature sensor commutator for eventual return on the Shuttle and recycling. Expedition 11 and Greg Olsen had 3 hours scheduled for a Soyuz descent training exercise. Sergei transferred equipment to be returned in the Soyuz Descent Module. He and Valerii recharged the Motorola-9505 Iridium satellite phone to be carried on TMA-6 descent. Sergei did more filming of Greg Olsen for the Japanese noodles commercial. The change-of-command ceremony was to take place at 18:55 GMT.

News & reports links

8/10 On-Orbit Status Report.

From Novosti Kosmonavtiki news №505:

08/10/2005/00:01 – The ISS crew gathered the “space radish” harvest, but TsUP will not allow them to eat it

The ISS Russian segment today for one hour became an orbital “post office”, and then the season of the collection of the harvest from the space vegetable-garden began at the Station. As Valerii Lyndin, the official representative of Mission Control Center, described: “two Russians – Sergei Krikalyov and Valerii Tokarev in the company with the third space tourist Gregory Olsen (the businessman from the USA) will sign and carry out” the special stamping of “several ten space envelopes” for an hour.

In the program of NASA astronauts John Phillips and William McArthur, this so-called symbolic activity is not scheduled, they explained at TsUP. Together with the crew of the 11th permanent expedition and Olsen, philatelic souvenirs from the orbit will be returned to the Earth on 11 October. Part of them will, according to tradition, be displayed in the Rocket-Space Corporation Energiya museum, and the Museum of Russian Cosmonautics.

Today the ISS-11 commander Krikalyov gathers the long-awaited harvest of the second generation of space radish, reported Igor Podolskiy, the chief scientific worker of the Institute of Biomedical Problems (IMBP) of the RAN (Russian Academy of Science). “In truth, space farmer Krikalyov will not be able to try the fruits of his labor in the Lada onboard installation. Judging by the photographs, he grew the fifth-sixth of the root-crops of the second vegetation and furthermore we officially do not recommend to cosmonauts the eating of the vegetables grown in orbit,” the scientist noted.

“Before giving official permission to the tasting, we still should conduct much more work on a study of the influence of space on the plants,” explained Podolskiy. Nevertheless, he continued, the ISS-5 crew, at their own risk, tried the “mizuna” lettuce grown in orbit, and nothing happened to the cosmonauts.

Krikalyov will pack the orbital radish into small packets with a special gel and will take them back to Earth, where they will be thoroughly investigated by scientists. The “conducted on ISS experiment” plant “will make it possible to create hothouses, which will ensure the necessary biomass for the crews of future interplanetary vehicles,” they noted in IMBP. ITAR-TASS reports about this.

Russian version, Русская версия: Экипаж МКС собрал урожай «космической» редиски, но есть ее ЦУП не разрешил.

9/10

Day 7 of joint crew operations, with 1 day to go for ISS-11. Handover activities continued. Sergei completed the last part of his final 1.5-hour training session in the Chibis lower-body negative-pressure suit, to prepare his body for return to gravity. He then continued transferring equipment to Soyuz TMA-6 for return home (in the Descent Module). He aided Greg Olsen with some Earth photography. “After yesterday’s traditional Change-of-Command ceremony, today at ~18:50 and ~19:10 GMT, CDR Krikalyov and FE-12 Tokarev will sign the formal ISS Russian segment (RS) Handover Act, certifying RS handover/acceptance as specified in the RPS (handover) book, proper transfer of emergency procedures documents, and a list of cargo items stowed on Progress-354/19P for deorbit.”

News & reports links

9/10 On-Orbit Status Report.

From Novosti Kosmonavtiki news №505:

09/10/2005/18:41 – On the ISS it is a rest day and the routine of the crew’s activity is changed

On the ISS it is a rest day and the work routine of the joint crew is changed. As they reported in Mission Control Center, in the old residents of the station of Sergei Krikalyov and John Phillips, and also their reliefs Valerii Tokarev and William McArthur will awake today one-and-a-half hours later than usual – at 11:30 Moscow Summer Time (MSK), and to sleep they will also retire 90 minutes earlier – at 24:00 MSK.

The regime changes concern the space tourist – the 60-year-old USA businessman Gregory Olsen, they noted in TsUP. “For the cosmonauts, it is necessary to gather their strength before the critical undocking operation of the Soyuz TMA-6, aboard which Krikalyov and Phillips will return to the Earth, who have worked in orbit already more than 177 days, and also Olsen, who arrived on the ISS last Monday,” they explained in TsUP. “The ship, according to the timeline, must be undocked from the ISS at 01:49 MSK on 11 October and after five orbits land on the Kazakhstan steppe,” said expert.

In spite of this, orbital activities have been abolished – during the shift change it is stressed important each hour and furthermore to the returning themselves to the Earth after a half-year flight, it is necessary for the cosmonauts to complete the preparation of their bodies for terrestrial gravity. “For this, Krikalyov and Phillips will today be conducting sequential training in the Chibis pneumo-vacuum suit, in which, due to a drop in barometric pressure, is created the flow of the blood to the lower part of the body and thus is imitated the Earth’s gravity,” reported the TsUP Medical Group. “After a long stay in weightlessness muscles atrophy; therefore besides training in the Chibis, two weeks prior to the return home the ISS crews begin to use special food additives, and directly on the day of descent – salt solutions in order to avoid the dehydration of their bodies during landing,” said an expert. These procedures are not provided for 60-year-old Olsen – he stayed on ISS for only 6 days, they noted in TsUP, nevertheless, they will today study the third space tourist.

ITAR-TASS Reports About This.

Russian version, Русская версия: На МКС отменены выходные и изменен режим работы экипажа.

09/10/2005/11:01 – On the ISS the crew was replaced

On the night of Sunday 9 October, the crew was replaced on the ISS. Russian Sergei Krikalyov and American John Philips, who worked in orbit from April, transferred command to Valerii Tokarev and American to William McArthur.

The functions of the commander of ISS were transferred from Krikalyov to NASA astronaut McArthur. Tokarev will fulfill the responsibilities of flight engineer.

The mission of Valerii Tokarev and William McArthur will be prolonged for half a year. In this time they must conduct fifty experiments.

As television network NTV reports, on the solemn occasion Krikalyov transferred to his relief the flight log, and wished to introduce there numerous interesting records.

The new commander, William McArthur, thanked his associates and he named the honor to accept Station command from Sergei Krikalyov. According to McArthur, the work conducted by the crew was worthy of deep respect.

The crew of the 11th basic expedition will leave to the Earth on 11 October.

Together with them will return home the space tourist Gregory Olsen, who paid 20 million dollars for a week’s stay on the ISS.

Russian version, Русская версия: На МКС сменился экипаж.

10/10

Final day of joint crew operations. Crew wakeup time was shifted forward again to 17:00 GMT to accommodate the undocking and post-undocking activities. Much final packing and preparations. “With Soyuz TMA-6 no longer available as emergency CRV (crew return vehicle) for the coming Increment, Krikalyov ensured correct transfer of its three Emergency Procedures ODF (DAS EhP) books to the new CRV, Soyuz TMA-7, currently at the DC1 port (will be transposed to FGB nadir port on 11/18).” Greg Olsen entered TMA-6 at ~13:30 GMT, then the crew activated the spacecraft. Goodbye handshakes at ~14:44 officially ended Expedition 11’s tenure. Hatches were closed at ~14:45, then 60 minutes of leak checks followed.

News & reports links

What will the Soyuz TMA-6/10S crew (Exp. 11 + Gregory Olsen) experience during today’s reentry/descent?

For the reentry, all crewmembers are wearing the Russian Kentavr anti-G suit. [The Kentavr garment is a protective anti-g suit ensemble to facilitate the return of a long-duration crewmember into the Earth gravity. Consisting of shorts, gaiters, underpants, jersey and socks, it acts as countermeasure for circulatory disturbance, prevents crewmember from overloading during descent and increases orthostatic tolerance during post-flight adaptation. Russian crewmembers are also advised to ingest fluid-electrolyte additives, viz., three sodium chloride tablets during breakfast and after the midday meal, each time with 300 ml of fluid, and two pills during the meal aboard Soyuz before deorbit.]

Before descent

Special attention will be paid to the need for careful donning of the medical belt with sensors and securing tight contact between sensors and body.

During preparation for descent, before atmosphere reentry, crewmembers settle down comfortably in the Kazbek couches, fasten the belts, securing tight contact between body and the seat liner in the couch.

During de-orbit

Dust particles starting to sink in the Descent Module (DM) cabin is the first indication of atmosphere reentry and beginning of G-load effect. From that time on, special attention is required as the loads increase rapidly.

Under G-load effect during atmosphere re-entry the crew expects the following experience: Sensation of G-load pressure on the body, burden in the body, labored breathing and speech. These are normal sensations, and the advice is to “take them coolly”. In case of the feeling of a lump in the throat, this is no cause to “be nervous”. This is frequent and should not be fought. Best is to “try not to swallow and talk at this moment”. Crew should check vision and, if any disturbances occur, create additional tension of abdominal pressure and leg muscles (strain abdomen by pulling in), in addition to the Kentavr anti-G suit.

During deployment of pilot (0.62 & 4.5 square meters), drogue (16 sq.m.) and main (518 sq.m.) parachutes the impact accelerations will be perceived as a “strong snatch”. No reason to become concerned about this but one should be prepared that during the parachutes deployment and change (“rehook”) of prime parachute to symmetrical suspension, swinging and spinning motion of the DM occurs, which involves vestibular (middle ear) irritations.

It is important to tighten restrain system to fasten pelvis and pectoral arch. Vestibular irritation can occur in the form of different referred sensations such as vertigo, hyperhidrosis, postural illusions, general discomfort and nausea. To prevent vestibular irritation the crew should “limit head movement and eyes movement”, as well as fix their sight on motionless objects.

Just before the landing (softened by six small rocket engines behind the heat shield): Crew will be prepared for the vehicle impact with the ground, with their bodies fixed along the surface of the seat liner in advance. “Special attention should be paid to arm fixation to avoid the elbow and hand squat” (instruction). Landing speed: ~9.9 m/sec.

After landing

Crew should not get up quickly from their seats to leave the DM. They were advised to stay in the couch for several minutes and only then stand up. In doing that, they should limit head and eyes movement and avoid excessive motions, proceeding slowly. They and their body should not take up Earth gravity in the upright position too quickly.

An interview with Sergei on the second-last day of his mission, by cosmonaut Yurii Baturin at Novaya Gazeta.ru (a tidied-up Babelfish translation):

The Fellow Countryman

Space wanderer Sergei Krikalyov tomorrow comes back to the Earth which he left for the longest term.

This modest, laconic cosmonaut behind a back not only space lines and work by the Soviet, Russian and American ships. He has observed Terrestrial cataclysms from space – natural, such as Hurricane “Rita” recently, or political, such as the disintegration of the USSR in 1991.

Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalyov – a person of the sky. The master of sports of the international class on sports planes. A participant in the international competitions. A European and world champion. A combination of engineering talent and piloting ability has naturally resulted in a space career for him.

He became a cosmonaut candidate almost twenty years ago, on November 10th, 1985. After the general space preparation, he prepared under the program Buran then it so happened that it was necessary at once, without duplication, having replaced an ill colleague, to launch as part of the basic crew to work at station Mir as the flight engineer. Within two years he again returned there and completed his half-year shift, but the program of flights had changed, and he had to remain and continue the mission with the new commander. He is the first of the Russian cosmonauts, having passed a full rate of preparation under the American program, to fly on the American Shuttle as a mission specialist. In a few years he again flew on the Shuttle, beginning the assembly of the International space station (ISS), and was the first Russian to stay on board.

And now the sixth flight of cosmonaut Krikalyov comes to an end. In August he surpassed a record of his colleague Sergei Avdeev on total operation time in space – 748 days. Tomorrow he comes back to the Earth. His total for today: 803 days!

With Sergei KRIKALEV working in an orbit, shortly before his returning to the Earth our observer, cosmonaut Yurii Baturin talks.

Q: You have executed five space flights and are finishing the sixth. And if to recollect the very first, with what feelings did you have at launch?

A: To me was entrusted “to close a gap in the program”, and I would not like to disappoint those who taught me and believed that I was able to do it.

Q: After the general space preparation, you prepared under the Buran program. Do you regret, that you did not fly on our shuttle, or has the U.S. Shuttle closed this theme?

A: I regret, that Buran has not gone as the program. It is possible to argue, whether Buran was economically justified and expedient in general, but that has occurred to this program, was not exact effective. To spend it is so much resources on creation of unique system and then it to not use at all?

The Shuttle has not closed a theme, but has given me new experience.

Q: In 1994 you, the first of the Russian cosmonauts, flew on the American Shuttle. How do you estimate the ships of this class – they have made the business and can leave? It is not a pity?

A: The end sooner or later comes to all. And it does not mean, that them it is not a pity. Simply it is time to put new problems and to solve their new means. The same and about the Soyuz ship.

Q: Now to the ISS. By then, as you prepared for two years under the program of the basic expedition, an off-schedule flight is suddenly appointed and you became a member of crew of the Shuttle to which operations on assembly ISS have been charged. As if a time machine had delivered you there even before the first expedition. The opportunity to glance in the future was interesting?

A: It was interesting to see all from the very beginning. And it was still important to apply the knowledge received in preparation on station for the last years, already in real flight.

Q: How much strongly does the present expedition differ from the first on ISS and from the very first – your flight on Mir?

A: All flights are different. And personal impressions are different. In general, to me has carried to observe of astronautics from within during enough long time. To observe not simply separate fragments, and dynamics. It is as a living organism: something develops, something degrades. There are new problems and priorities…are displaced.

Q: Remember, how we on March, 26th, 1991 in Houston saw off on direct translation Mir in five days after your returning with ISS?

A: Certainly, I remember. It is all our history…And with personal sensations…

Q: We will talk more in detail about personal sensations. Whether you can name the destiny happy?

A: Probably, I can. I managed to make much that would be desirable. It was possible to fly and in long flights, and in short. It was possible to work both at Mir, and on ISS. It was possible to work outside of station in a free space. It was possible to fly on Shuttle and completely to familiarize with system of preparation of cosmonauts in Houston. It was possible to fly on higher inclination and to see it is little bit more, than it is visible from a board of stations. But the most important – both on the Earth, and in space was possible to work with many present professionals who love and well do the business.

Q: In June, 1991 general designer Yu.P. Simeon has suggested you to remain onboard and to continue flight with the new commander, Alexander Volkov, till March of next year. As in a song about atlantov: “…Are put once, and change has not come”. Such situations happened in history of astronautics when it was necessary to remain. Peter Klimuk and Vitaly Sevastyanov on Salyut-4 during experimental flight Apollo-Soyuz. Later Sergei Avdeev. What sensations when “change has not come”?

A: Imagine the sensations of the sportsman to whom, during the middle of a distance, is informed that the distance is now twice longer. And it absolutely other sensations than when at once you are adjusted for long work. Already half of forces is spent, and it is necessary to change a rhythm that the remained half to stretch on an interval of time, three times greater.

Q: During your second flight (1991) there was a putsch. From onboard, what was clearly and not clearly occurring on Earth?

A: It was clear, that it is revolution, and it was clear, that it not for ever. But here that we at all did not expect, so that “revolution” has appeared so frivolous.

Q: And there was a disintegration of the USSR. How did you learn about it? Whether the feeling of loss of the country in space is terrible?

A: I had no feelings of loss of the country. There was no sensation, that this was all serious. As though someone plays renamings and titles. For the one who works in a floor or on “first aid”, the circle of daily duties and cares does not vary that write in newspapers. We in this sense too were “in a floor”.

Q: You are a Hero of Russia. And a Hero of the Soviet Union. Whom do yourself feel – as more a Soviet or Russian hero?

A: Probably, here it is impossible to judge. Titles are external attributes. And the sensation is internal. I simply did the business and in one conditions, and then – in others.

Q: You won plane and glider sports, and now have become the owner of a space record, having accepted “the vest of the leader” from Sergei Avdeev. His achievement remained for six years, so important for those who is engaged in rather safe increase in duration of work in space…

A: Space ways are inscrutable, though all orbits are calculated and known. I shall remind you, that I already spent 15 months  on the Mir station, having finished the second flight, and Sergei Avdeev then just prepared to to the first. And here he already for a long time has established a record of stay in space, has finished a long career and some years on pension, and I have just now approached to the same duration. So, probably, I have accumulated such flight experience not because I often fly. Simply, I am engaged in it for a long time.

Q: And still. You lived in space longest in the world. Changed ships. Came back and again departed. Such a space wanderer. Would it be desirable to continue?

A: It would be desirable to do more. Duration for me has no great value. And if I was required to do something new where the experience accumulated in the previous programs would be useful, I shall depart again with pleasure.

Q: Soft landing and many meetings!

A: Thanks from all the crew. And to the readers of Novaya Gazeta, and to everyone who watches our work.

Yurii Baturin, and Novaya Gazeta observer, 10/10/2005.

Russian version, Русская версия: «Космический странник Сергей Крикалев завтра возвращается на Землю, которую покидал на самый долгий срок».

Photo of Sergei at Star City, before departure (36 KB).

11/10

First day alone for Expedition 12. Soyuz TMA-6 landed safely early today with Expedition 11 & Greg Olsen aboard.

Soyuz TMA-6/10S, carrying the Expedition 11 crew plus SFP VC9 Gregory Olsen, landed successfully last night at 9:09pm EDT in Kazakhstan, with the crew in excellent condition. Recovery forces spotted the descent capsule on its main parachute ten minutes earlier and arrived at the landing site without delay. The crew was then flown to the city of Arkalyk for the regular program of suit doffing and medical checkups. Later, Sergei, John and Gregory and their RKA/NASA welcome escorts returned to Star City by RKA airplane. [Earlier in the day, ISS/Soyuz hatches were closed at ~14:45 GMT, followed by a slightly delayed undocking at 17:49 (instead of 5:43). Soyuz TMA-7/11S remains at the station as new CRV (crew return vehicle). During their mission, Sergei Krikalyov and John Phillips racked up 179 d 23 m in space (liftoff to landing) and ~177 d aboard ISS. Olsen’s “tourist” trip lasted 9d 21h 15m.]

Final stats on E11/E12 handovers completed during the joint period tally up as follows:

  • CDR-11 Krikalyov: functional 1:50h; dedicated 7:30h;
  • FE-11 Phillips: functional 13:35h; dedicated 14:10h;
  • CDR-12 McArthur: functional 13:40h; dedicated 14:10h;
  • FE-12 Tokarev: functional 3:00h; dedicated 7:45h.

Undocking timeline via Spaceflight Now.com.

Time Event
1853 GMT (2:53 p.m. EDT) The departing crew members have boarded the Soyuz spacecraft in preparation for today’s undocking from the International Space Station. The hatchway between the capsule and the station’s Zarya module was closed at 2:48 p.m. EDT.

Commander Sergei Krikalyov will be taking the center seat in the Soyuz, flanked by flight engineer John Phillips in the left seat and tourist Greg Olsen in the right seat.

The undocking is coming up at 5:45 p.m. EDT.
2125 GMT (5:25 p.m. EDT) Everything is set for undocking, just under 20 minutes from now. The crew has donned and pressurized the Sokol spacesuits. Latches on the station-side of the docking mechanism have been opened. Flight controllers are not reporting any problems are clocks tick down to the departure of Expedition 11 from the station.
2135 GMT (5:35 p.m. EDT) Commander Sergei Krikalyov will undock the Soyuz manually – instead of in automatic mode with the onboard computer in charge – as a precautionary measure to conserve energy due to concerns with the capsule’s backup battery. The manual mode reduces the amount of time the Soyuz is on internal power before undocking, NASA says.
2140 GMT (5:40 p.m. EDT) The crew is still monitoring pressure readings between modules of the Soyuz with Russian flight controllers.
2144 GMT (5:44 p.m. EDT) Russian mission control has determined the pressure between the orbital and the descent modules is acceptable, indicating the internal hatch has a good seal. Undocking is expected shortly, just a few minutes behind schedule.
2146 GMT (5:46 p.m. EDT) The undocking command has been issued. The hooks and latches are opening to release the Soyuz capsule from the space station.

The station’s steering jets are inhibited to prevent any movements during the undocking.
2147 GMT (5:47 p.m. EDT) The headlight and television camera on the nose of Soyuz have been turned on.
2149 GMT (5:49 p.m. EDT) Undocking! With a gentle push by springs, the Soyuz TMA-6 spacecraft just undocked from the International Space Station’s Zarya control module while flying over East Asia.

The Russian capsule is bringing the Expedition 11 commander Sergei Krikalyov and flight engineer John Phillips, along with space tourist Greg Olsen, back to Earth this evening. Expedition 11 spent six months living on the station, while Olsen visited for a week.
2152 GMT (5:52 p.m. EDT) The Soyuz spacecraft has fired its thrusters for about 8 seconds, providing an extra boost in velocity to increase the rate of separation between the capsule and station. Over the two-and-a-half hours, the two craft will drift apart before Soyuz ignites its engines to brake from orbit for re-entry. Landing in Kazakhstan is expected at 9:09 p.m. EDT tonight.
2349 GMT (7:49 p.m. EDT) Now 30 minutes from ignition of the deorbit burn to bring the Soyuz back into the atmosphere. The spacecraft is flying over the equatorial Pacific Ocean on a southeasterly trajectory that will cross over the lower portion of South America before heading northeast above the Atlantic Ocean and Africa for re-entry.
0012 GMT (8:12 p.m. EDT Mon.) Soyuz is now passing above the extreme southern part of South America. The deorbit burn is now just 7 minutes away.
0019 GMT (8:19 p.m. EDT Mon.) Burn ignition! The Russian Soyuz TMA-6 spacecraft has commenced the four-minute deorbit burn. Engines on the capsule’s aft-end are firing to brake from orbit for the plunge back to Earth.

The capsule is flying backward over the southern Atlantic Ocean, just east of South America, on a northeasterly trajectory bound for Africa and eventually Central Asia where landing is expected at 9:09 p.m. EDT in the heart of Kazakhstan.
0021 GMT (8:21 p.m. EDT Mon.) Now half-way through this braking maneuver that will slow Soyuz by 258 miles per hour to send the craft toward atmospheric re-entry.
0023 GMT (8:23 p.m. EDT Mon.) BURN COMPLETE! The Soyuz capsule carrying Expedition 11 commander Sergei Krikalyov, flight engineer John Phillips and space tourist Greg Olsen has performed its braking maneuver, committing the craft for the return to Earth. Touchdown in north-central Kazakhstan is expected about 46 minutes from now.
0030 GMT (8:30 p.m. EDT Mon.) The first wave of recovery helicopters has taken off from the Kazakh town of Arkalyk – the staging site for the landing forces. It is a clear, starry morning there with good visibility and a temperature of 30 degrees F.
0033 GMT (8:33 p.m. EDT Mon.) Soyuz is crossing the equator over the central Atlantic and nearing Africa on its free fall toward the atmosphere.

In about 10 minutes, computer commands will fire explosives to separate the three Soyuz modules for atmospheric entry. The crew is strapped inside the Descent Module.
0039 GMT (8:39 p.m. EDT Mon.) Time to touchdown is 30 minutes.

Just above the first traces of the Earth’s atmosphere, computers will command the separation of the three modules of the Soyuz vehicle. With the crew strapped in to the Descent Module, the forward Orbital Module containing the docking mechanism and rendezvous antennas and the rear Instrumentation/Propulsion Module, which houses the engines and avionics, will pyrotechnically separate and burn up in the atmosphere.

The Descent Module’s computers will orient the capsule with its ablative heat shield pointing forward to repel the buildup of heat as it plunges into the atmosphere. The crew will feel the first effects of gravity in six months at the point called Entry Interface, when the module is about 400,000 feet above the Earth, about three minutes after module separation.
0044 GMT (8:44 p.m. EDT Mon.) Separation of the Soyuz modules has occurred. The three segments of the Soyuz TMA-6 spacecraft have jettisoned apart, allowing the crew-carrying Descent Module to safely ferry the three men back to Earth. The no-longer-needed Orbital Module and Instrumentation/Propulsion Module are designed to burn up in the atmosphere.
0046 GMT (8:46 p.m. EDT Mon.) Entry Interface. The Soyuz is now hitting the upper fringes of the atmosphere at an altitude of 400 000 feet. The Expedition 11 crew members are beginning to feel the first tugs of Earth’s gravity after six months in space.

The entry guidance by the spacecraft’s onboard software package is scheduled to start in a couple of minutes.
0049 GMT (8:49 p.m. EDT Mon.) Twenty minutes to landing. The Soyuz continues its fiery plunge into the atmosphere.
0052 GMT (8:52 p.m. EDT Mon.) The crew should be feeling the period of maximum G-loads – four or five times normal Earth gravity – during entry.
0053 GMT (8:53 p.m. EDT Mon.) Recovery forces report they have spotted the Soyuz plasma trail streaking across the western night sky.
0053 GMT (8:53 p.m. EDT Mon.) The crew reports all is going well aboard the Soyuz.
0054 GMT (8:54 p.m. EDT Mon.) In the next few seconds, the onboard computers will start a commanded sequence for deployment of the capsule’s parachutes at an altitude of about 10 kilometers. Two “pilot” parachutes are unfurled first, extracting a 24-square-meter drogue parachute. Within 16 seconds, the craft’s fall will slow from 230 meters per second to about 80 m/s.

The parachute deployment creates a gentle spin for the Soyuz as it dangles underneath the drogue chute, assisting in the capsule’s stability in the final minutes before touchdown.
0056 GMT (8:56 p.m. EDT Mon.) Recovery forces continue to track the Soyuz. The first chute has been deployed.
0057 GMT (8:57 p.m. EDT Mon.) Once the drogue chute is jettisoned, the main parachute to be deployed. It is connected to the Descent Module by two harnesses, covers an area of about 1,000 square meters and slows descent to 7.2 meters/second.

Initially, the Descent Module will hang underneath the main parachute at a 30-degree angle with respect to the horizon for aerodynamic stability, but the bottommost harness will be severed a few minutes before landing, allowing the Descent Module to hang vertically through touchdown.
0058 GMT (8:58 p.m. EDT Mon.) Two-way communications between the recovery team and the Soyuz crew have been established.
0101 GMT (9:01 p.m. EDT Mon.) At an altitude of five kilometers, the module’s heat shield is scheduled to be jettisoned. This is followed by the termination of the aerodynamic spin cycle and the dumping of any residual propellant from the Soyuz. Computers also will arm the module’s seat shock absorbers in preparation for landing.

With the jettisoning of the capsule’s heat shield, the Soyuz altimeter is exposed to the surface of the Earth. Using a reflector system, signals are bounced to the ground from the Soyuz and reflected back, providing the capsule’s computers updated information on altitude and rate of descent.
0105 GMT (9:05 p.m. EDT Mon.) Mission control says the Soyuz is descending through an altitude of 3000 meters now.
0108 GMT (9:08 p.m. EDT Mon.) At an altitude of about 12 meters, cockpit displays will tell commander Sergei Krikalyov to prepare for the soft landing engine firing. Just one meter above the surface, and just seconds before touchdown, the six solid propellant engines are fired in a final braking maneuver, enabling the Soyuz to land to complete its mission, settling down at a velocity of about 1.5 meters per second.
0109 GMT (9:09 p.m. EDT Mon.) Standing by for confirmation from mission control of the Soyuz capsule’s landing.
0110 GMT (9:10 p.m. EDT Mon.) Touchdown confirmed! The Russian Soyuz TMA-6 capsule has landed in north-central Kazakhstan, capping the six-month voyage of Expedition 11 commander Sergei Krikalyov and flight engineer John Phillips aboard the International Space Station and the 10-day adventure of tourist Greg Olsen.
0112 GMT (9:12 p.m. EDT Mon.) The recovery forces report they have visual contact with the Soyuz and say the capsule has landed upright.
0117 GMT (9:17 p.m. EDT Mon.) The Soyuz’s night-time re-entry below the International Space Station provided quite a sight for the Expedition 12 crew now living aboard the orbiting outpost.

“Thanks for the great fireworks show. We had a wonderful view,” the space station’s new commander, Bill McArthur, just radioed Houston.
0119 GMT (9:19 p.m. EDT Mon.) A recovery team flying aboard a convoy of Russian military helicopters have landed nearby Soyuz to begin assisting the crew out of the capsule. The spacecraft touched down and remained vertical, unlike past missions in which capsules have tipped over.
0120 GMT (9:20 p.m. EDT Mon.) The landing point is 41 degrees North and 67 degrees East.
0121 GMT (9:21 p.m. EDT Mon.) A medical tent will be set up near the capsule in which the crew can change out of its launch and entry suits. Russian technicians will open the module’s hatch and begin to remove the crew, one by one. They will be seated in special reclining chairs near the capsule for initial medical tests and to provide an opportunity to begin readapting to Earth’s gravity.
0128 GMT (9:28 p.m. EDT Mon.) The crew members are now being pulled from the capsule at dawn begins to break over the landing site.
0135 GMT (9:35 p.m. EDT Mon.) Greg Olsen is enjoying a piece of fruit after exiting the spacecraft.
0137 GMT (9:37 p.m. EDT Mon.) “I feel great. I can’t wait to walk around and eat some real food and take a shower,” Olsen says.
0145 GMT (9:45 p.m. EDT Mon.) All three members of the crew are out of the Soyuz and appear to be doing OK now.
0207 GMT (10:07 p.m. EDT Mon.) A further update from the landing site indicates the Soyuz capsule actually did come to rest on its side.

Post-landing plans call for the crew to be flown from the site in helicopters within two hours of landing. They will be taken to the city of Kustanai for an initial welcoming ceremony. Then a Russian military transport plane will fly the crew to the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, where their families will meet them.

News & reports links

Soyuz spacecraft with ISS crew lands safely in Kazakhstan

RIA Novosti, 09:09 | 11/10/2005

Korolev (Moscow region), October 11 (RIA Novosti) – A Soyuz spacecraft carrying the 11th crew of the International Space Station, and space tourist Gregory Olsen, landed at 5:09 Moscow time (1:09 GMT) at the scheduled recovery area in Kazakhstan, Mission Control reported Tuesday. The commander of the search and rescue team watched the capsule told Mission Control that it had landed safely 57 kilometers southeast of the town of Arkalyk in northern Kazakhstan.

In all, four An-12 airplanes, 17 Mi-8 helicopters, and seven search and rescue vehicles were involved in the operation to locate the capsule.

The members of the 11th ISS expedition, Sergei Krikalyov and John Phillips, returned to Earth after six months in space. Olsen had spent a week on the ISS, pursuing his own research program and taking photos.

Now that the mission is over, for postflight news please return to the News: 2005 page!

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