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| Expedition 40 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Expedition 40 |
| Mission type | ISS long-duration mission |
| Space station | International Space Station |
| Start date | 10 May 2014 |
| End date | 10 September 2014 |
| Duration | 123 days |
| Previous | Expedition 39 |
| Next | Expedition 41 |
Expedition 40 was a long-duration International Space Station crew rotation that maintained continuous human presence aboard the Orbital Complex during 2014. The crew conducted operations combining maintenance, scientific research, and international cooperation with partners including Roscosmos, NASA, European Space Agency, JAXA, Canadian Space Agency, and SpaceX contractors. The increment bridged handovers between sequential crewed missions such as Soyuz TMA-11M, Soyuz TMA-12M, and commercial cargo visits like Cygnus CRS Orb-1.
The six-person complement comprised commanders and flight engineers from Roscosmos, NASA, and ESA including veterans and first-time long-duration residents of the Zvezda (ISS module), Zarya, Unity (ISS module), Harmony (ISS module), and Columbus (ISS module). Notable crewmembers included a Russian cosmonaut who trained at Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, an American astronaut who graduated from U.S. Naval Academy and served with NASA Astronaut Group 19, and a European astronaut selected via European Space Agency Astronaut Corps. The roster represented multinational exchange agreements formalized under the Intergovernmental Agreement on Space Station Cooperation and crew assignments coordinated by Flight Operations Directorate centers such as Mission Control Center (MCC)-Moscow and Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center.
Expedition parameters followed the Low Earth Orbit profile of previous increments with orbital maintenance managed by thruster firings from Progress spacecraft and attitude control involving the Control Moment Gyroscope assemblies located in the Destiny (ISS module). Objectives aligned with strategic research priorities from NASA's Human Research Program, European Space Agency Microgravity Research Program, and biomedical protocols from Russian Academy of Sciences. Logistics included resupply manifests negotiated with Roscosmos, NASA Johnson Space Center, Orbital ATK, and SpaceX under contracts like the Commercial Resupply Services agreements. Safety protocols referenced procedures from International Docking System Standard adaptations and Interagency Space Debris Coordination Committee guidelines.
Flight operations began with launches of Soyuz TMA-11M and Soyuz TMA-12M from Baikonur Cosmodrome and transfers involving the Soyuz spacecraft orbital rendezvous profile used since Soyuz TM-31. Docking operations were coordinated with the KURS automated rendezvous system and manual contingency options rehearsed at Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. Commercial cargo vehicles such as Orbital Sciences Cygnus and SpaceX Dragon CRS-# performed berthing maneuvers using the Canadarm2 robotic manipulator supplied by the Canadian Space Agency. Visiting vehicle traffic involved coordination with Mission Control Center (MCC)-Houston and TsUP.
Daily operations included maintenance on flight hardware in modules like Kibo (module), Tranquility (node), and Poisk (module), management of life-support systems including Environmental Control and Life Support System components, and payload operations for instruments such as Microgravity Science Glovebox and the European Physiology Modules. Crew members performed communications with ground teams at European Astronaut Centre, engaged in educational outreach through Kids in Space style events, and supported international cargo transfers with visiting vehicles like Progress MS and HTV. Contingency simulations drew on training from Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory and emergency procedures derived from Soyuz abort modes.
The increment hosted research spanning human physiology, combustion, fluid physics, and materials science. Experiments included studies under NASA Human Research Program protocols such as bone-density investigations tied to International Osteoporosis Foundation methodologies, cardiovascular monitoring using equipment from European Space Agency's Biolab, and plant growth trials akin to Veggie (ISS experiment). Materials research utilized furnaces and extrusion apparatus from Materials Science Laboratory and collaborations with institutions like Max Planck Institute, European Organization for Nuclear Research, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Russian Academy of Sciences. Technology demonstrations involved testing components related to Additive Manufacturing hardware and automation algorithms from NASA Ames Research Center and JAXA's Tsukuba Space Center.
Extravehicular activities were conducted using Extravehicular Mobility Unit suits and Orlan suits with airlock operations staged from Quest Joint Airlock and Pirs (module). Tasks included maintenance on the Canadarm2 base, replacement of external equipment such as the Pump Module, and installation of experiments on the External Payload Facility of Kibo (module)]. EVA planning involved personnel from Johnson Space Center EVA Office, Russian EVA planning teams at TsUP, and safety oversight from ESA's Columbus Control Centre.
Crew rotation ended with Soyuz undocking and descent procedures carried out to landing zones near Kazakhstan under recovery operations run by Russian Search and Rescue Service teams coordinated with NASA flight surgeons and Spaceflight Medical Operations. Postflight debriefs took place at Johnson Space Center and Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, and research samples returned to labs including European Space Research and Technology Centre, NASA Ames Research Center, and university partners such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University. Data and results contributed to follow-on missions documented by NASA Technical Reports Server and integrated into planning for subsequent projects like Expedition 41 and commercial initiatives with partners including SpaceX and Orbital ATK.