Launch of Soyuz TMA-15M manned spacecraft carried out on November 24th 2014 from Baikonur marked the completion of Roscosmos’ manned flight program for 2014, the agency’s press-service reports.
A total of four manned transport spacecraft were launched (on March 24th – Soyuz TMA12-M, May 28th - Soyuz TMA13-M, September 26th - Soyuz TMA14-M, November 24th - Soyuz TMA15-M) in order to deliver astronauts to ISS and back to Earth. In the course of the year six Russian astronauts, 4 NASA and 2 ESA astronauts were delivered to ISS by Soyuz spaceships, the Federal Space Agency explained.
Four Progress transport spacecraft delivered 10 tons of cargo to the ISS, including fuel, water, oxygen, food, materials and equipment for scientific experiments and maintenance of the station, clothes, personal hygiene products, documentation, video and photo equipment, parcels for the crew members, etc.
“Specialists of the cosmodrome have already started preparation of another manned spacecraft, which will deliver the crew of 43/44 ISS mission to the station. At the site No.254 of the integration and test building Soyuz TMA16-M spacecraft was mounted on a test rig. Specialists of S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia (RSC Energia) and Yuzhny Space Center (branch of Center for Operation of Space Ground-based Infrastructure) are carrying out depreservation of the spacecraft, connecting its equipment to ground test facilities. Upon completion of this work the electric tests of Soyuz TMA16-M will be started,” the press-service noted.
It is planned to complete the testing of Soyuz spacecraft in mid-December. The vehicle will undergo component and systems tests and it will also be tested in an anechoic chamber. After that Soyuz TMA16-M will be deactivated and the work will be resumed in February in order to prepare for the launch scheduled for March 27th 2015.
The following astronauts are preparing for the flight as part of the crew of 43/44 ISS mission: Gennady Padalka, Mikhail Kornienko, Alexey Ovchinin, Sergey Volkov (Roscosmos), Scott Kelly and Jeffrey Williams (NASA). Two members of this crew will be working at the station for one year instead of six months for the first time ever, Roscosmos added.
