Expedition 42 facts for kids
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| Mission type | ISS Expedition |
|---|---|
| Expedition | |
| Space Station | International Space Station |
| Began | 10 November 2014 UTC |
| Ended | 11 March 2015 UTC |
| Arrived aboard | Soyuz TMA-14M Soyuz TMA-15M |
| Departed aboard | Soyuz TMA-14M Soyuz TMA-15M |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 6 |
| Members | Expedition 41/42: Barry E. Wilmore Aleksandr Samokutyayev Yelena Serova Expedition 42/43: Anton Shkaplerov Samantha Cristoforetti Terry W. Virts |
 Expedition 42 mission patch  (l-r) Serova, Wilmore, Samokutyayev, Shkaplerov, Virts and Cristoforetti ISS expeditions
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Expedition 42 was the 42nd group of astronauts and cosmonauts to live and work on the International Space Station (ISS). This mission began on November 10, 2014. It started when the previous crew left the station and returned to Earth. The Expedition 42 mission ended on March 11, 2015. This was when the crew returned home. During their time in space, the crew performed important science experiments. They also prepared the space station for future spacecraft.
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Meet the Expedition 42 Crew
The Expedition 42 crew was made up of six space travelers. They came from different countries. The crew lived and worked together in space.
First Group of Crew Members
Three crew members were part of the mission from the start. They arrived on the station earlier.
- Barry E. Wilmore from NASA (United States) was the Commander. This was his second trip to space.
- Aleksandr Samokutyayev from RSA (Russia) was a Flight Engineer. This was his second time in space.
- Yelena Serova from RSA (Russia) was also a Flight Engineer. This was her first spaceflight.
Second Group of Crew Members
Three more crew members joined Expedition 42 later on. They arrived in November 2014.
- Anton Shkaplerov from RSA (Russia) joined as a Flight Engineer. This was his second spaceflight.
- Samantha Cristoforetti from ASI-ESA (Italy) joined as a Flight Engineer. She was on her first space mission.
- Terry W. Virts from NASA (United States) joined as a Flight Engineer. This was his second time in space.
Preparing the Space Station for New Visitors
A very important part of Expedition 42 was getting the International Space Station ready. The goal was to prepare it for new types of spacecraft. These new spacecraft are called "commercial space taxis." They will carry astronauts to and from the station.
New Docking Ports
The crew worked to prepare special parking spots for these new spacecraft. These spots are called "docking ports." They are located on a part of the ISS called the Harmony module.
- One new port was prepared at the front of the Harmony module. Space Shuttles used to dock there.
- Another new port was prepared on the top side of the Harmony module.
Spacewalks for Upgrades
To get these new ports ready, the astronauts had to do several spacewalks. A spacewalk is when an astronaut goes outside the space station. During these spacewalks, they worked to reconfigure parts of the station. This made sure the new docking ports would work correctly.
Future Commercial Spacecraft
These new ports will allow spacecraft like Boeing's CST-100 and SpaceX's Dragon capsules to connect to the ISS. These companies are building spacecraft to transport astronauts. The first paid passengers are expected to arrive at the station in the future.
Gallery
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New docking ports for CST-100 capsule.
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New docking ports for Dragon capsule.
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See also
In Spanish: Expedición 42 para niños
