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| Expedition 51 (ISS) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Expedition 51 |
| Mission type | Long-duration mission to the International Space Station |
| Operators | Roscosmos, NASA, JAXA, ESA |
| Mission duration | 135 days (approx.) |
| Crew | Randolph Bresnik, Sergey Ryzhikov, Andrei Borisenko, Paolo Nespoli, Alexander Misurkin, Randy Bresnik |
| Start date | 10 April 2017 |
| End date | 10 July 2017 |
| Previous | Expedition 50 (ISS) |
| Next | Expedition 52 (ISS) |
Expedition 51 (ISS) was the 51st long-duration expedition to the International Space Station, conducted by a multinational crew supported by Roscosmos, NASA, ESA, and JAXA. The expedition included crew rotation with visiting spacecraft such as the Soyuz MS-05 and Soyuz MS-04 and oversaw science operations, maintenance, and extravehicular activity on the orbital complex. Expedition 51 continued research across disciplines including human physiology, materials science, and Earth observation while coordinating logistics with commercial providers like SpaceX and Orbital ATK.
The six-person crew comprised flight engineers and commanders drawn from Roscosmos, NASA, and ESA, with members arriving aboard Soyuz MS-04 and Soyuz MS-05. Crew members had prior missions including Expedition 50 (ISS), Expedition 52 (ISS), Soyuz TMA-07M, Soyuz TMA-11M and service with institutions such as Johnson Space Center, Star City (Russia), and European Astronaut Centre. Training involved facilities like Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, and partnerships with programs including Commercial Crew Program and International Space Station program. Crew roles were coordinated with Mission Control Center (Houston), TsUP in Moscow, and international mission planners in Cologne (ESA), Tsukuba Space Center, and Marshall Space Flight Center.
The Expedition 51 insignia followed a tradition of patches representing heritage from Skylab, Mir, and prior International Space Station expeditions. Designers referenced symbolic elements from Soyuz MS series markings, STS-1 emblems, and iconography familiar to NASA mission patches and Roscosmos heraldry. The patch reflected international cooperation seen in collaborations among ESA Astronaut Corps, Canadian Space Agency, and JAXA Astronaut Corps personnel, echoing design conventions established during Expedition 1 and later iterations like Expedition 52 (ISS).
Key milestones included handover activities with Expedition 50 (ISS) crew, formal change-of-command ceremonies coordinated by Mission Control Center (Houston), and the arrival and departure of Progress and commercial cargo vehicles such as SpaceX CRS-10 and OA-7. The timeline incorporated docking operations with Poisk module, Rassvet module, and the Harmony (Node 2) external interfaces. Notable operational events linked to orbital mechanics performed in coordination with Roscosmos flight dynamics, NASA Flight Operations Directorate, and orbital debris tracking by US Strategic Command. The expedition supported Earth observation campaigns over regions including Sahara Desert, Amazon Rainforest, and Himalayas.
Expedition 51 carried out experiments across life sciences and physical sciences with facilities like Kibo (ISS module), Destiny (ISS module), and the Columbus (ISS module). Studies included human physiology investigations building on results from Twin Study (spaceflight) comparisons and research related to bone density analogs and cellular responses akin to programs at European Space Research and Technology Centre. Materials science experiments used platforms such as MISSE style exposure and microgravity combustion tests similar to experiments flown on STS-107 and managed by teams at Ames Research Center and JPL. The expedition supported technology demonstrations related to 3D printing in microgravity, life support tests feeding into Orion (spacecraft) and Gateway (spacecraft) planning, and plant growth studies connected to Veggie (plant growth system) and Advanced Plant Habitat. Investigations interfaced with academic partners at MIT, Stanford University, University of Colorado Boulder, and University of Edinburgh.
Extravehicular activities were conducted to maintain external systems on the Integrated Truss Structure and to service experiments mounted on the ExPRESS Logistics Carrier. Spacewalks involved coordination with suits and systems developed from Extravehicular Mobility Unit heritage and adaptations from Orlan suit procedures used by Roscosmos. Tasks included replacement of hardware associated with Batteries and power systems analogous to upgrades from STS-120 and structural inspections informed by debris impacts tracked by LEO tracking network. Ground teams at Houston, TsUP, and Munich (ESA) provided realtime support for complex maintenance operations.
Resupply operations during Expedition 51 included visits by autonomous and crewed vehicles such as Progress MS, SpaceX CRS-10, and OA-7 (Cygnus) with payloads ranging from science racks to foodstuffs sourced from vendors contracted under ISS National Laboratory agreements. Cargo manifest items aligned with research priorities from NASA Glenn Research Center, JAXA ISS Program, and instrumentation provided by institutions including Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Max Planck Society. Logistics planning leveraged lessons from STS program resupply missions and coordination with commercial partners like SpaceX and Northrop Grumman.
Highlights included delivery and installation of new experimental hardware, successful completion of planned research milestones, and seamless handover to Expedition 52 (ISS). Incidents were minor and managed by operations centers including Mission Control Center (Houston) and TsUP, with contingency procedures informed by historical events such as responses developed after Soyuz TMA-11M anomalies and Expedition 34 (ISS) lessons. Collaboration among international agencies—NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA, and the Canadian Space Agency—ensured crew safety and mission success throughout the expedition.