A cosmic relay: the Olympic torch travels to the International Space Station
In short: In November 2013, the Olympic torch left Earth for a unique journey. It traveled to the International Space Station to be displayed by cosmonauts during a spacewalk, serving as a symbol of international cooperation before returning to Earth to light the flame for the 2014 Sochi Winter Games.
On November 9, 2013, Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Sergey Ryazanskiy performed a spacewalk lasting 5 hours and 50 minutes. Wearing Orlan spacesuits, the pair left the Pirs docking module at 9:34 a.m. EST. The mission involved repairs and a unique photo session featuring the unlit Olympic torch. This mission involved installing and replacing various hardware and experiments on the station, located approximately 260 miles above the Earth. During the excursion, the duo also worked on the Zvezda service module. They worked to set up a new biaxial pointing platform. This task included the installation of a combination extravehicular activity workstation. They also worked to deactivate the Radiometria experiment package.
The torch's arrival and departure were carefully coordinated with crew rotations. It was delivered to the station on November 7 by three new residents: Mikhail Tyurin, Rick Mastracchio, and Koichi Wakata. After its display, the torch was scheduled to return to Earth on November 11 via a Soyuz spacecraft, traveling with departing crew members Fyodor Yurchikhin, Karen Nyberg, and Luca Parmitano.
This orbital visit was part of a relay that began in Olympia, Greece, and was intended to culminate in the lighting of the Olympic flame during the opening ceremonies of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, on February 7, 2014. While the torch's presence in space was a symbolic gesture of unity, the crew also engaged in their own 'cosmic games' to foster cohesion, featuring activities like synchronized floating and long jumps adapted for microgravity.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: An Olympic Moment in Space
- Also: Olympic Torch Highlights Station Spacewalk - NASA
- Also: www.space.com — Astronauts are celebrating their own Summer Olympics in space (satellites, too)
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