Soyuz MS-04 facts for kids
.jpg)
Soyuz MS-04 prior to launch
|
|
| Mission type | ISS crew transport |
|---|---|
| Operator | Roskosmos |
| Mission duration | 136 days |
| Distance travelled | 92.5 million kilometres |
| Orbits completed | 2176 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Soyuz MS |
| Spacecraft type | Soyuz MS 11F732A48 |
| Manufacturer | RKK Energia |
| Launch mass | 7080 kg |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 2 (launching) 3 (landing) |
| Members | Fyodor Yurchikhin Jack D. Fischer |
| Landing | Peggy Whitson |
| Callsign | Olimp (Olympus) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 20 April 2017, 07:13:44 UTC |
| Rocket | Soyuz-FG |
| Launch site | Baikonur, Site 1 |
| Contractor | Progress Rocket Space Centre |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | 3 September 2017, 01:22 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 | Poisk zenith |
| Docking date | 20 April 2017, 13:18 UTC |
| Undocking date | 2 September 2017, 21:58 UTC |
| Time docked | 135 days |
 Yurchikhin and Fischer in front of their spacecraft Soyuz programme
(Crewed missions) |
|
Soyuz MS-04 was a special space mission that launched on April 20, 2017. Its main job was to carry astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). This flight was the 133rd time a Soyuz spacecraft had flown into space.
This mission was unique for a few reasons. It was the first Soyuz MS flight to reach the ISS in about 6 hours, much faster than the two days it used to take. It was also the first Soyuz mission since Soyuz TMA-2 to launch with only two crew members instead of the usual three.
Contents
The Crew of Soyuz MS-04
The Soyuz MS-04 mission carried two brave astronauts to the International Space Station. They were part of Expedition 52, which is a long stay on the ISS.
| Position | Launching Crew Member | Landing Crew Member |
|---|---|---|
| Commander |  Fyodor Yurchikhin, RoscosmosExpedition 51 Fifth and last spaceflight |
|
| Flight Engineer 1 |  Jack D. Fischer, NASAExpedition 51 Only spaceflight |
|
| Flight Engineer 2 | N/A | Peggy Whitson, NASA Expedition 52 Third spaceflight |
Originally, this mission was planned to have three crew members. However, due to some changes in the Russian space program's plans in 2017, the number of astronauts launching on Soyuz MS-04 was reduced to two.
Backup Crew
Just like in many important missions, there's always a backup team ready to step in if needed. For Soyuz MS-04, the backup crew members were:
| Position | Crew Member | |
|---|---|---|
| Commander | Sergey Ryazansky, Roscosmos |
|
| Flight Engineer 1 | Randolph Bresnik, NASA |
|
Quick Trip to the Space Station
One of the most exciting things about Soyuz MS-04 was how fast it traveled to the ISS. Previous Soyuz missions often took about two days to reach the station, orbiting Earth many times. But Soyuz MS-04 used a new, faster approach. It reached the ISS and docked (connected) in just about six hours after launch! This made the journey much quicker for the astronauts.
Landing Back on Earth
After spending 136 days in space, the Soyuz MS-04 spacecraft returned to Earth. It landed safely in the wide open steppes of Kazakhstan on September 3, 2017. While only two astronauts launched on Soyuz MS-04, three astronauts returned on it. Peggy Whitson joined Fyodor Yurchikhin and Jack D. Fischer for the journey back home.
Images for kids
-
Yurchikhin and Fischer in front of their spacecraft
See also
In Spanish: Soyuz MS-04 para niños
