The rare physics of a midnight return from the stars
In short: Landing a spacecraft in the freezing dark is a logistical anomaly. In 2012, the Expedition 33 crew executed one of the rarest maneuvers in spaceflight history, navigating a timing glitch and sub-zero winds to touch down on the Kazakh steppe just before dawn.
On November 18, 2012, the Expedition 33 crew—comprising NASA's Sunita Williams, JAXA's Aki Hoshide, and Russia's Yuri Malenchenko—concluded a 127-day mission in space. The Soyuz TMA-05M's homecoming stood out because it occurred during the night; such an event had transpired merely four times across 12 years of orbital journeys to the International Space Station. At the time, it was the first such landing in six years. The mission faced immediate technical hurdles. A timing glitch caused the capsule to overshoot its intended landing site by a few miles. However, Russian recovery teams were able to compensate for this deviation during the descent. The capsule landed on its side—a standard configuration—at 7:56 a.m. local time in Kazakhstan. Because of time zone differences, it was still technically Sunday night at NASA's Mission Control in Houston, even though the sun was beginning to rise. Environmental conditions added another layer of complexity. The crew landed on the frigid steppes of Kazakhstan under overcast skies. Temperatures were recorded at 12 degrees Fahrenheit (-11 degrees Celsius), but the wind chill made it feel like 0 degrees Fahrenheit (-17 degrees Celsius). These conditions necessitated a rapid extraction by recovery teams to ensure the safety of the three astronauts who had spent 125 days aboard the International Space Station.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Expedition 33 Crew Receives a Warm Welcome in Kazakhstan and Russia
- Also: Soyuz Spacecraft Makes Rare Night Landing with Station Crew
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/space-expedition-33-crew-receives-a-warm-welcome-in-kazakhstan-and.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Space · Latest · A–Z · All topics
