ISS Expedition 19/20

Mission Profile

Overview

Expedition 19/20 marked the moment the International Space Station truly became a six-person laboratory. Veteran Russian commander Gennady Padalka and American flight engineer Mike Barratt launched aboard Soyuz TMA-14 in March 2009, carrying space-tourist Charles Simonyi on his second self-funded visit. They opened the three-person Expedition 19, then on 29 May 2009 a second Soyuz arrived and Expedition 20 became the first full six-member ISS crew — and the first time all five partner agencies (Roscosmos, NASA, ESA, JAXA and CSA) were simultaneously represented in orbit. Padalka, commanding consecutive expeditions, oversaw a doubling of the station's research throughput. He and Barratt returned in October 2009 with Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté, the first Canadian space tourist, aboard their Soyuz after 199 days aloft.

Crew

Key Milestones

1. 2009-03-26

   Soyuz TMA-14 launches with Padalka, Barratt and tourist Charles Simonyi

2. 2009-03-28

   Docking with the ISS; Expedition 19 (three-person crew) begins

3. 2009-05-29

   Second Soyuz arrives; Expedition 20 becomes the first six-person ISS crew with all five partner agencies represented

4. 2009-10-11

   Soyuz TMA-14 lands with Padalka, Barratt and tourist Guy Laliberté

Key Achievements

• Expedition 20 was the first six-person resident crew aboard the ISS

• First time all five station partner agencies — Roscosmos, NASA, ESA, JAXA and CSA — were represented in orbit simultaneously

• Padalka became the first cosmonaut to command two consecutive ISS expeditions

Related Missions

Sources

1. Wikipedia — Expedition 20
2. Wikipedia — Expedition 19
3. Wikipedia — Soyuz TMA-14