Soyuz TMA-08M

Crew

Pavel Vinogradov

Status: Active
8/31/1953 -
Nationality: Russian
Type: Government
First Flight: 8/5/1997
Last Flight: 3/28/2013

Pavel Vladimirovich Vinogradov (Russian: Павел Владимирович Виноградов; born August 31, 1953 in Magadan, USSR) is a cosmonaut and former commander of the International Space Station. As of May 2013, he has flown into space three times, aboard Mir and the International Space Station, and is one of the top 10 astronauts in terms of total time in space. Vinogradov has also conducted seven spacewalks in his cosmonaut career, and holds the record for the oldest person to perform a spacewalk.

Alexander Misurkin

Status: Active
9/23/1977 -
Nationality: Russian
Type: Government
First Flight: 3/28/2013
Last Flight: 12/8/2021

Alexander Alexanderovich Misurkin (Russian: Aлександр Aлександрович Мисуркин) born on September 23, 1977, a major in the Russian Air Force, is a Russian cosmonaut, selected in 2006. He flew aboard Soyuz TMA-08M on 28 March 2013 as his first space mission, and launched on Soyuz MS-06 as his second flight, in 2017. He was Commander of the International Space Station for Expedition 54.

Christopher Cassidy

Status: Retired
1/4/1970 -
Nationality: American
Type: Government
First Flight: 7/15/2009
Last Flight: 4/9/2020

Christopher John "Chris" Cassidy is a NASA astronaut and United States Navy SEAL. Chris Cassidy achieved the rank of Captain in the U.S. Navy. He was the Chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA from July 2015 until June 2017.

Cassidy attended York High School, in York, Maine. He then graduated from the Naval Academy Preparatory School in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1989. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the United States Naval Academy in 1993 and a Master of Science degree in Ocean Engineering from MIT in 2000. While in the Navy, Cassidy passed BUD/S and became a Navy SEAL. While a SEAL he served several tours of duty supporting the fight in the War on Terror. His first spaceflight was on Space Shuttle mission STS-127, and his second was as a flight engineer for Expedition 35/36, launched aboard Soyuz TMA-08M. He was in space between July 15–31, 2009 and March 28 – September 10, 2013. Cassidy has worked as a CAPCOM for both International Space Station and Space Shuttle missions in the past.

Cassidy announced his retirement from both the Navy and NASA Astronaut Corps on May 28, 2021.

Rocket

Soyuz FG – Progress Rocket Space Center

Family: Soyuz-U
Length: 49.5 m
Diameter: 3 m
Launch Mass: 310000 T
Low Earth Orbit Capacity: 6450 kg

The Soyuz FG was manufactured by Progress Rocket Space Center with the first launch on 2001-05-20. Soyuz FG has 59 successful launches and 1 failed launches with a total of 60 launches. The Soyuz FG rocket is an expendable launch vehicle most commonly known for carrying humans to the International Space Station today.

Agency

Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS)

Type: Government
Abbreviation: RFSA
Administration: Administrator: Yuri Borisov
Founded: 1992
Launchers: Soyuz
Spacecraft: Soyuz
Country: RUS

The Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities, commonly known as Roscosmos, is the governmental body responsible for the space science program of the Russian Federation and general aerospace research. Soyuz has many launch locations the Russian sites are Baikonur, Plesetsk and Vostochny however Ariane also purchases the vehicle and launches it from French Guiana.