Nine humans briefly shared the International Space Station in a rare orbital overlap
In short: In late 2013, a rare moment of orbital density occurred. As one crew prepared to depart Kazakhstan, a new trio arrived at the International Space Station, creating a nine-person residency—the first of its kind since the space shuttle era ended in 2009.
The transition between Expedition 37 and Expedition 38 was marked by a complex handoff of personnel and scientific responsibility. On September 26, the Soyuz TMA-10M spacecraft, carrying Oleg Kotov, Sergey Ryazanskiy, and Michael Hopkins, docked to the Poisk module after a six-hour rendezvous. Shortly thereafter, a second arrival via the Soyuz TMA-11M—comprising Mikhail Tyurin, Koichi Wakata, and Rick Mastracchio—docked to the Rassvet compartment at 5:27 a.m. EST on a Thursday, following a launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome the previous night.
This period of nine residents was a fleeting window of high-density habitation. While the incoming Expedition 38 trio was set to remain in orbit until May 2014, the outgoing Expedition 37 members—Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, Karen Nyberg, and Luca Parmitano—were scheduled to undock just four days later. Their return to Earth in the Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft marked the end of a 5.5-month mission, leaving the station to the remaining six crew members.
Beyond the logistics of docking, this period served as a platform for critical biological research. The incoming cargo included tools for the 'Space Headaches' investigation, designed to study intracranial pressure changes and the efficacy of medications in microgravity. Additionally, the 'Microbiome' investigation sought to monitor how space travel impacts the human immune system and microbial populations, while the 'Sarcolab' study focused on the loss of muscle mass and motor control caused by long-term weightlessness. Even the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics were represented, as Kotov and Ryazanskiy planned a spacewalk to carry the Olympic torch outside the station.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Expedition 37/38 Crew Docks to the Space Station and Talks to Family Back on Earth
- Also: Station Home to Nine Residents - NASA
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/space-expedition-37-38-crew-docks-to-the-space-station-and-talks-t.
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 stations · More in Space · Latest · A–Z · All topics
