Soyuz TMA-08M

Soyuz TMA-08M
Name	Soyuz TMA-08M
Mission type	Crewed mission to International Space Station
Operator	Roscosmos
Cospar id	2013-041A
Satcat	39270
Spacecraft	Soyuz-TMA 11F732
Manufacturer	RKK Energia
Launch date	2013-03-28
Launch rocket	Soyuz-FG
Launch site	Baikonur Cosmodrome
Landing date	2013-11-10
Landing site	Kazakhstan

Soyuz TMA-08M Soyuz TMA-08M was a 2013 crewed Soyuz mission that transported a three-person crew to the International Space Station as part of Expedition 35/36. Operated by Roscosmos in cooperation with NASA and European Space Agency, the flight used a Soyuz-FG rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome and returned after approximately seven months, supporting station operations, scientific research, and crew rotation.

Mission overview

The mission launched to deliver crewmembers to the International Space Station during the long-duration Expedition sequence that followed Expedition 34, Expedition 35, and preceded Expedition 36; it formed part of crew rotation agreements involving Roscosmos, NASA, and JAXA. The flight profile used the accelerated rendezvous technique developed after missions such as Soyuz TMA-08M's predecessors like Soyuz TMA-06M and Soyuz TMA-07M, reducing transit time compared with two-day profiles used on earlier flights like Soyuz TMA-05M. The spacecraft was built by RKK Energia and integrated at facilities associated with TsSKB-Progress and supported by ground infrastructure at Baikonur Cosmodrome and flight control centers including Mission Control Center (Moscow).

Crew

The three-person crew included representatives from Roscosmos, NASA, and European Space Agency during Expedition 35/36 rotations, following selection and training pipelines at Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center and interfaces with programs run by European Astronaut Centre and Johnson Space Center. Crew assignments were coordinated under Intergovernmental Agreement on Space Station Cooperation frameworks and announced in coordination with agencies such as Spaceflight Participant programs and national space agencies. Backup crews trained in parallel at Star City and participated in simulations alongside engineers from RKK Energia and technicians from Energia Rocket and Space Corporation.

Spacecraft and hardware

The Soyuz-TMA 11F732 spacecraft employed for the mission incorporated legacy designs evolved from early Soyuz models developed by OKB-1 and later manufactured by RKK Energia, featuring the orbital module, descent module, and service module architecture pioneered in the Soyuz programme. Avionics upgrades drawn from missions like Soyuz TMA-01M and Soyuz TMA-03M improved reliability, while life support systems referenced heritage systems used on Salyut and Mir station ferry flights. Launch vehicle support came from the Soyuz-FG booster family derived from R-7 (rocket family), and recovery assets included search and recovery teams coordinated with Russian Air Force and regional authorities in Kazakhstan.

Launch and docking

Launch occurred from Gagarin's Start at Baikonur Cosmodrome atop a Soyuz-FG rocket, following standard integration at Site 254 and rollout procedures observed in earlier launches such as Soyuz TMA-07M. The mission used a fast rendezvous profile developed after analyses of approaches like those used by Progress M-16M and applied to crewed Soyuz flights to achieve docking with the Poisk or Rassvet and/or the Harmony node depending on station traffic. Docking operations were coordinated with ISS Flight Control teams at NASA Mission Control Center and Roscosmos Mission Control Center (TsUP), using rendezvous radar and automated docking systems derived from Kurs technology.

On-orbit operations and experiments

While berthed to the International Space Station, crew members integrated into Expedition 35/36 command structures chaired by station commanders drawn from agencies like NASA and Roscosmos, performing maintenance, extravehicular activity preparation, and handover activities with arriving and departing crews such as those from SpaceX CRS resupply missions and Progress (spacecraft) flights. The mission supported scientific investigations across disciplines represented by NASA, ESA, JAXA, and CSA researchers, including microgravity experiments in facilities like Kibo (module), Destiny (ISS module), and Columbus (ISS module). Experiments addressed human physiology care programs with links to studies by European Space Agency and Institute of Biomedical Problems (IMBP), materials science experiments connected to Materials International Space Station Experiment heritage, and technology demonstrations similar to those flown on NanoRacks hardware.

Return and landing

The return used the Soyuz deorbit burn profile and atmospheric reentry techniques long established by the Soyuz programme and heritage from Vostok-era reentries, with a ballistic or nominal entry trajectory monitored by Mission Control Center (Moscow) and recovery coordination involving the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations. The descent module touched down on the steppes of Kazakhstan, where recovery teams from Roscosmos and Russian Aerospace Forces executed postlanding medical checks and crew extraction procedures analogous to those used in previous landings such as Soyuz TMA-03M. Crew handover to NASA and partner agencies followed standard postflight debrief and rehabilitation protocols overseen by Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center medical staff.

Mission insignia and publicity

The mission insignia incorporated symbolic elements consistent with Soyuz-era patches seen in missions including Soyuz TMA-06M and Soyuz TMA-09M, produced by designers affiliated with Roscosmos and promoted via press briefings at Baikonur Cosmodrome and Johnson Space Center. Public outreach included collaboration with media organizations like BBC News, The New York Times, and RIA Novosti, educational engagement through programs organized by European Space Agency and NASA Public Affairs Office, and coverage during events such as international conferences at International Astronautical Congress venues.

Category:Soyuz missions Category:2013 in spaceflight