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| Soyuz MS-15 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Soyuz MS-15 |
| Mission type | Crewed ISS transport |
| Operator | Roscosmos |
| Spacecraft | Soyuz MS |
| Launch date | 2019-09-25 |
| Launch site | Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 31/6 |
| Landing date | 2020-04-17 |
| Crew callsign | Факел (Fakel) |
Soyuz MS-15 was a 2019–2020 crewed spaceflight mission using a Soyuz MS vehicle to transport a multinational International Space Station crew to and from low Earth orbit. Operated by Roscosmos in partnership with NASA, ESA, JAXA, and CSA, the flight supported Expedition 61 and Expedition 62 operations aboard the Zvezda and Zarya complex. The mission continued the long-running series of Soyuz crew rotations that trace back to the Vostok program and Soviet space program heritage.
Soyuz MS-15 launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 31/6 atop a Soyuz-2.1a rocket, following integration at Site 254 and rollout from the Mushroom processing complex. The flight delivered a crew complement for increment rotations between Expedition 61 and Expedition 62, operating in tandem with visiting vehicles like Progress MS resupply ships and the Crew Dragon Demo-1 and Crew Dragon Demo-2 missions. Command and coordination involved TsUP and NASA Mission Control Center in Houston, with medical oversight from Institute of Biomedical Problems. The mission exemplified the multinational logistics practiced since the Shuttle–Mir Program and the International Space Station program agreements.
The three-person crew comprised career cosmonauts and astronauts selected through national agencies: commander Aleksey Ovchinin of Roscosmos, flight engineer Nick Hague of NASA, and flight engineer Hazzaa AlMansoori of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre. Training took place at Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center and Johnson Space Center facilities, including centrifuge runs at TsAGI and neutral buoyancy sessions at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory. Preflight integration included medical exams at Baikonur and simulations at Star City. The crew used the callsign Факел (Fakel), linked to Russian flight tradition seen in prior expeditions like Soyuz TMA-19M and Soyuz MS-10 crew rotations.
The Soyuz MS variant combined heritage systems from Soyuz-TMA and modernization upgrades including an improved Kurs-NA rendezvous system, upgraded avionics derived from Glonass program improvements, and new multifunctional displays influenced by certified designs from RKK Energia and TsNIIMash. The vehicle included the orbital module, descent module, and service module, with life support provided by systems evolved from Salyut and Mir technology. Redundancies drew upon lessons from past anomalies such as Soyuz 11 and abort profiles refined after incidents like Soyuz MS-10. International payloads were integrated following standards set during STS-71 and ISS assembly flights.
Launch operations followed countdown procedures coordinated between Roscosmos and Roskosmos State Corporation facilities at Baikonur, with trajectory monitoring by European Space Agency tracking stations and NASA assets. After rendezvous maneuvers using an automated Kurs approach, the Soyuz MS spacecraft performed docking to the Rassvet module nadir port, aligning with docking protocols practiced during Expedition 60 and Expedition 61 handovers. The docking sequence engaged hooks and latches similar to mechanisms used on Progress and earlier Soyuz TM missions; final capture occurred under supervision from Flight Director teams in Houston and Moscow.
During Expedition 61/62 operations, crew members participated in scientific investigations across disciplines represented by partner institutions including NASA Glenn Research Center, European Space Agency (ESA), JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), Canadian Space Agency, and the Russian Academy of Sciences. Experiments included materials science studies tied to Materials International Space Station Experiment heritage, biological research building on Biomed series, fluid physics informed by Marangoni effects research, and Earth observation coordinated with USGS and NOAA. The crew performed maintenance aboard modules like Harmony (ISS module), Columbus (ISS module), and Kibo, and executed robotic operations using Canadarm2. They conducted forums with dignitaries from UAE and outreach events linked to Science Museum (London) partnerships.
After handover activities with subsequent crews such as those delivered by Soyuz MS-16 and complemented by SpaceX Crew-1 operations, the Soyuz MS-15 crew conducted deorbit burns managed with guidance from TsUP and Mission Control Center (Houston). The descent module reentered over the Kazakh Steppe, deploying parachutes and relying on heatshield heritage from earlier Soyuz flights. Touchdown occurred near the Steppes of Kazakhstan with recovery teams from EMERCOM of Russia and medical personnel from Institute of Aviation and Biomedical Problems performing post-landing checks. Crew medical evaluations referenced protocols from International Space Station medical operations and historic contingency plans from Salyut-era recoveries.
The mission insignia blended national and international motifs overseen by design teams that have collaborated on patches for flights such as Soyuz MS-14 and Expedition 60. The patch incorporated symbolism reflecting the crew callsign Факел and emblems from Roscosmos, NASA, and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, continuing a tradition seen in joint badges like those of Apollo–Soyuz Test Project commemoratives and STS/ISS cooperative insignia.
Category:Soyuz missions Category:2019 in spaceflight Category:2020 in spaceflight