Image: NASA/Carla Cioffi
Soyuz TMA-03M
Mission Profile
| Launch date | 2011-12-21 |
|---|---|
| Launch site | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Site 1/5 |
| Launch vehicle | Soyuz-FG |
| Spacecraft | Soyuz TMA-M (No. 703) |
| Target | Low Earth Orbit |
| Type | Crewed |
| End date | 2012-07-01 |
| Duration | 192 days 18 hours 58 minutes |
| Partners | Roscosmos, ESA, NASA |
Overview
Soyuz TMA-03M launched from Baikonur on 21 December 2011, carrying the third digital, modernized Soyuz TMA-M ferry to the ISS. Aboard were commander Oleg Kononenko, NASA veteran Don Pettit and Dutch ESA astronaut André Kuipers, returning to orbit for his half-year 'PromISSe' mission — the first long-duration flight by a Dutch astronaut. Across Expeditions 30 and 31, Kuipers oversaw dozens of European experiments and helped capture the very first SpaceX Dragon to berth at the station in May 2012, a milestone in the dawn of commercial cargo. The crew spent more than six months in orbit before returning to Earth on 1 July 2012, landing southeast of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. The descent capsule is now preserved at Space Expo in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
Crew
Oleg Kononenko
Commander
Russia, Roscosmos; Expedition 30/31
André Kuipers
Flight Engineer (PromISSe mission)
Netherlands, ESA; first long-duration flight by a Dutch astronaut
Don Pettit
Flight Engineer
USA, NASA; third spaceflight
Key Milestones
2011-12-21
Launch from Baikonur with Kononenko, Kuipers and Pettit
2011-12-23
Docking to the ISS Rassvet module
2012-05-25
Crew captures the first SpaceX Dragon to berth at the ISS
2012-07-01
Landing southeast of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, ending the PromISSe mission
Key Achievements
André Kuipers flew the PromISSe mission, the first long-duration flight by a Dutch astronaut
Crew captured the first SpaceX Dragon to berth at the ISS in May 2012
Third flight of the digitally modernized Soyuz TMA-M series
