What does it feel like to live in orbit for 166 days?

Space · Published 11 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Beyond the breathtaking views of Canadian auroras and Earth sunrises, the crew of Expedition 38 faced the technical rigors of station maintenance. From complex spacewalks to managing resupply arrivals, their mission combined high-stakes engineering with groundbreaking microgravity science.

The Expedition 3HD mission, led by Commander Oleg Kotov of the Russian Federal Space Agency, involved a period of 166 days in space. Alongside Flight Engineers Michael Hopkins and Sergey Ryazanskiy, the crew managed a complex schedule of scientific research and station upkeep. Their work included studying treatments for aging and disease, using lasers to analyze gases, and testing methods for beaming large amounts of data back to Earth. The crew's scientific endeavors also encompassed various studies in space physics. These investigations were part of a broader mission to utilize the unique microgravity environment for human research.

Maintenance often required venturing into the vacuum of space. On December 27, 2013, Kotov and Ryazanskiy performed an 8-hour and 7-minute spacewalk to install Urthecast Earth observation cameras. However, due to issues with wiring and cabling, the pair had to repeat the procedure on January 27, 2014, during a 6-hour and 8-minute excursion to ensure the cameras were properly attached to the Zvezda Service Module. Other crew members, including Richard Mastracchio, Koichi Wakata, Mikhail Tyurin, and Rick Mastracchio, were also part of the broader mission activities. During the mission, Mike Hopkins even captured a selfie while performing a spacewalk on December 22, 2013.

The station's rhythm was dictated by the arrival of unpiloted vehicles. In late 2013, the crew monitored the approach and docking of the Progress 53 resupply vehicle using the manual TORU docking system. The mission also saw a flurry of activity in early 2014, including the launch of Progress 52 in February and the arrival of the Cygnus cargo ship, all while the crew captured images of everything from the robotic arm's end effector to the faint moon during a sunrise. The station's operations were supported by various cargo missions, such as the Cygnus release on February 5, 2014. Additionally, the crew utilized the station's robotic arm for inspections, providing rare views of its internal components.

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