HOUSTON – The Russian Federal Space Agency has adjusted the launch date for the next three residents of the International Space Station to Monday, April 4 (April 5 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan).
The new date enables engineers in Baikonur to complete their checkouts of the Soyuz TMA-21 spacecraft. The launch date was set after a thorough review of Soyuz systems by Russian space officials and engineers.
Russian cosmonaut and Soyuz Commander Alexander Samokutyaev, NASA Flight Engineer Ron Garan and Russian Flight Engineer Andrey Borisenko are scheduled to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 5:18 p.m. CDT on April 4 (4:18 a.m. Baikonur time on April 5).
The launch will occur less than a week before the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s historic flight from the same Baikonur launch pad to become the first human to fly in space.
Samokutyaev, Garan and Borisenko are scheduled to dock their Soyuz, dubbed “Gagarin,” to the Poisk module on the space-facing side of the Russian segment of the station at 6:18 p.m. CDT on April 6.
They will join the other three Expedition 27 crew members, Commander Dmitry Kondratyev, NASA astronaut Cady Coleman and European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli, who have been aboard the station since mid-December.
The full schedule of the pre-launch, launch and docking coverage includes (all times Central):
March 31, Thursday
11 a.m. Video File of the ISS Expedition 27 Crew Activities in Baikonur, Kazakhstan
April 1, Friday
11 a.m. Video File of the ISS Expedition 27/Soyuz TMA-21 Rocket Mating and Crew Activities in Baikonur, Kazakhstan
April 2, Saturday
11 a.m. Video File of the ISS Expedition 27/Soyuz TMA-21 Rocket Rollout to the Launch Pad in Baikonur, Kazakhstan
April 3, Sunday
4 p.m. Video File of the ISS Expedition 27 Final Pre-Launch Crew News Conference and Russian State Commission Meeting in Baikonur, Kazakhstan
April 4, Monday
3:45 p.m. Video Feed of the ISS Expedition 27 Crew Pre-Launch Activities in Baikonur, Kazakhstan
4:30 p.m. ISS Expedition 27/Soyuz TMA-21 Launch Coverage (Launch scheduled at 5:18 p.m. CDT)
8 p.m. Video File of ISS Expedition 27/Soyuz TMA-21 Pre-Launch, Launch and Post-Launch Interviews
April 6, Wednesday
5:45 p.m. ISS Expedition 27/Soyuz TMA-21 Docking Coverage (Docking scheduled at 6:18 p.m. CDT followed by the post-docking news conference from Mission Control in Korolev, Russia)
8:45 p.m. ISS Expedition 27/Soyuz TMA-21 Hatch Opening and Welcoming Ceremony (Hatch Opening and Welcoming Ceremony scheduled at approximately 9:15 p.m. CDT)
April 7, Thursday
12 a.m. Video File of ISS Expedition 27/Soyuz TMA-21 Docking, Hatch Opening and Welcoming Ceremony
For NASA Television streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit:
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Michael Curie
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
michael.curie@nasa.gov
Kylie Clem
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
kylie.s.clem@nasa.gov