Soyuz MS-03 facts for kids
Soyuz MS-03 docked to International Space Station (ISS).
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| Mission type | ISS crew transport |
|---|---|
| Operator | Roskosmos |
| Mission duration | 196 days 17 hours 49 minutes |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Soyuz MS |
| Spacecraft type | Soyuz MS 11F732A48 |
| Manufacturer | RKK Energia |
| Launch mass | 7080 kg |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 3 (launching) 2 (landing) |
| Members | Oleg Novitsky Thomas Pesquet |
| Launching | Peggy Whitson |
| Callsign | Kazbek |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 17 November 2016, 20:17:00 UTC |
| Rocket | Soyuz-FG |
| Launch site | Baikonur, Site 1 |
| Contractor | Progress Rocket Space Centre |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | 2 June 2017, 14:10 UTC |
| Landing site | Steppes of the Kazakhstan |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Inclination | 51.66° |
| Docking with ISS | |
| Docking port | Rassvet nadir |
| Docking date | 19 November 2016, 21:58 UTC |
| Undocking date | 2 June 2017, 10:47 UTC |
| Time docked | 194 days |
.jpg) (l-r) Pesquet, Whitson and Novitsky Soyuz programme
(Crewed missions) |
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The Soyuz MS-03 was a special spacecraft that launched into space on November 17, 2016. Its main job was to carry three astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). This flight was the 132nd time a Soyuz spacecraft had flown. The crew included a commander from Russia and two flight engineers, one from America and one from France.
Meet the Crew
The Soyuz MS-03 mission carried three brave astronauts to the International Space Station. They were part of a team called Expedition 50, which is like a long stay on the space station.
| Position | Launching Crew Member | Landing Crew Member |
|---|---|---|
| Commander |  Oleg Novitsky, RoscosmosExpedition 50 Second spaceflight |
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| Flight Engineer 1 |  Thomas Pesquet, ESAExpedition 50 First spaceflight |
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| Flight Engineer 2 |  Peggy Whitson, NASAExpedition 50 Third spaceflight |
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- Oleg Novitsky from Russia was the commander. This was his second trip to space.
- Thomas Pesquet from France was a flight engineer. This was his first time in space.
- Peggy Whitson from the USA was also a flight engineer. This was her third space journey.
Mission Highlights
The Soyuz MS-03 spacecraft launched on November 17, 2016, at 8:17 PM UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). It was an exciting moment for the crew and everyone watching.
When astronaut Peggy Whitson flew on this mission, she was 56 years old. This made her the oldest woman to ever fly into space at that time.
The Soyuz MS-03 spacecraft successfully docked, or connected, with the International Space Station on November 19, 2016. The astronauts then began their important work and experiments on the station.
After spending 196 days in space, Oleg Novitsky and Thomas Pesquet returned to Earth. Their spacecraft, Soyuz MS-03, undocked from the ISS on June 2, 2017. They landed safely in the steppes of Kazakhstan.
Peggy Whitson stayed on the ISS for a longer mission. She returned to Earth later on a different spacecraft, Soyuz MS-04, on September 3, 2017.
See also
In Spanish: Soyuz MS-03 para niños
