Soyuz TM-29Soyuz-U Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS) Launch Status Success Fri · Feb 19th, 1999 11:18 PM EST Crew Viktor Afanasyev Commander Status: Retired 12/31/1948 - Nationality: Russian Type: Government First Flight: 12/2/1990 Last Flight: 10/21/2001 Viktor Mikhailovich Afanasyev Russian: Виктор Михайлович Афанасьев; born 31 December 1948) is a colonel in the Russian Air Force and a test cosmonaut of the Yu. A. Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. Ivan Bella Research Cosmonaut Status: Retired 5/25/1964 - Nationality: Slovak Type: Government First Flight: 2/20/1999 Last Flight: 2/20/1999 Ivan Bella (born 25 May 1964 in Brezno, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia)) is a Slovak Air Force officer who became the first Slovak citizen to fly in space. He participated in an eight-day joint Russian-French-Slovak mission to the Mir space station in 1999. Jean-Pierre Haigneré Flight Engineer Status: Retired 5/19/1948 - Nationality: French Type: Government First Flight: 7/1/1993 Last Flight: 2/20/1999 Jean-Pierre Haigneré (born 19 May 1948) is a French Air Force officer and a former CNES spationaut. He flew on two missions to the Mir space station in 1993 and 1999. The Mir Altair long-duration mission (186 days) in 1993 also included an EVA. Mission Soyuz TM-29 Type: Human Exploration Soyuz TM-29 was the 38th mission and the 27th long-duration expedition to Mir space station. The mission began on February 20, 1999, 04:18:01 UTC, launching Commander Viktor Afanasyev, Flight Engineer Jean-Pierre Haigneré and Research Cosmonaut/Fight Engineer Ivan Bella, who became the first Slovakian cosmonaut, into orbit. They docked with Mir two days later. During their stay there, cosmonauts performed several EVAs and various scientific experiments. Station crew was visited by several Progress resupply spacecrafts. The mission concluded with a safe landing back on Earth on August 28, 1999, 00:34:20 UTC. Location 1/5 Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan 468 rockets have launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan. Rocket Soyuz U Length: 51.1 meters Diameter: 2.95 meters The Soyuz U rocket has been launched a total of 166 times with 163 successful and 3 failed launches. Agency Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS) Type: Government Abbreviation: RFSA Administration: Administrator: Dmitry Rogozin 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. View Rocket Launch Schedule