How the Expedition 38 crew carried the Olympic torch into orbit
In short: In late 2013, a Soyuz rocket launched from Kazakhstan carrying more than just scientists. Alongside the new Expedition 38 crew, the rocket transported the Olympic torch for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, marking a unique intersection of global sport and international space cooperation.
The transition between space expeditions is a complex logistical feat. On September 26, the Soyuz TMA-10M spacecraft, carrying Commander Oleg Kotov, Flight Engineer Sergey Ryazanskiy, and NASA's Michael Hopkins, successfully docked with the Poisk module on the Russian segment of the International Space Station. This rendezvous took approximately six hours to complete. The spacecraft departed from the Baikonur Cosmodrome earlier that day. This successful docking occurred on the Russian segment of the station.
The subsequent Expedition 38 mission expanded the scientific horizons of the station. The crew engaged in diverse research, including studying treatments for aging and disease, utilizing lasers to analyze gases, and testing methods to beam large volumes of data back to Earth. Beyond science, the crew maintained the station through intensive extravehicular activities. The crew also investigated microgravity science through various human research projects. These efforts included exploring the physics of space.
Spacewalks during this era were critical for station maintenance. For example, on January 27, 2014, Oleg Kotov and Sergei Ryazanskiy performed a spacewalk lasting 6 hours and 8 minutes. Other sessions, such as those conducted by Richard Mastracchio and Mike Hopkins in late 2013, ranged from roughly 5.5 to 7.5 hours, highlighting the physical demands placed on the crew to keep the complex operational. In December 2013, the crew performed a spacewalk lasting over seven hours.
The mission also served as a cultural bridge. On November 7, 2013, the Soyuz TMA-11M rocket lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. This launch carried the Expedition 38 crew—Mikhail Tyurin, Richard Mastracchio, and Koichi Wakata—along with the Olympic torch, which was scheduled for a four-day visit to the station. The rocket departed at 11:14 p.m. EST. This specific mission included cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Expedition 37/38 Crew Docks to the Space Station
- Also: Expedition 38 - NASA
- Also: Photos: Space Station
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