Image: NASA TV (public domain)
Soyuz MS-16
Mission Profile
| Launch date | 2020-04-09 |
|---|---|
| Launch site | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Site 31/6 |
| Launch vehicle | Soyuz-2.1a |
| Spacecraft | Soyuz MS-16 (11F732A48, named "Irkut") |
| Target | Low Earth Orbit |
| Type | Crewed |
| End date | 2020-10-22 |
| Duration | 195 days 18 hours 49 minutes |
| Partners | Roscosmos, NASA |
Overview
Launched on 9 April 2020 at the dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic, Soyuz MS-16 carried Expedition 63 to the ISS under unprecedented quarantine. It was historic for two reasons: the first crewed flight on the Soyuz-2.1a rocket and the first crewed Russian mission since 2016 not to fly from the legendary Gagarin's Start pad. Commander Anatoli Ivanishin and rookie flight engineer Ivan Vagner, on his first spaceflight, were joined by NASA's Chris Cassidy. For five months the trio ran the station as a lean three-person crew before SpaceX's Crew Dragon Demo-2 ended Russia's monopoly on crewed access. Vagner proved a gifted photographer, sharing striking auroras and Earth imagery that won a global following. The crew returned safely to the Kazakh Steppe on 22 October 2020 after 195 days in orbit.
Crew
Anatoli Ivanishin
Commander (Roscosmos) — 3rd spaceflight
Veteran of Soyuz TMA-22 and Soyuz MS-01; led Expedition 63.
Ivan Vagner
Flight Engineer (Roscosmos) — 1st spaceflight
Rookie cosmonaut; became known for his Earth and aurora photography from orbit.
Chris Cassidy
Flight Engineer (NASA) — 3rd spaceflight
Former US Navy SEAL; commanded Expedition 63 and performed four EVAs during the mission.
Key Milestones
2020-04-09
Launch from Baikonur Site 31/6 — first crewed flight of the Soyuz-2.1a rocket
2020-04-09
Fast-track docking to the Poisk module after a ~6-hour, two-orbit rendezvous
2020-05-31
Crew Dragon Demo-2 arrival ended the Soyuz monopoly on crewed ISS access
2020-10-21
Undocking from the ISS to begin the return to Earth
2020-10-22
Landing on the Kazakh Steppe SE of Zhezkazgan after 195 days
Key Achievements
First crewed launch on the Soyuz-2.1a rocket
First crewed Russian mission since 2016 not launched from Gagarin's Start
Maintained ISS operations as a lean three-person Expedition 63 crew during the early pandemic
