Soyuz successfully launches three astronauts to ISS
The Russians early today successfully launched three astronauts into orbit, using their Soyuz-2 rocket and Soyuz capsule.
The crew, heading to ISS, is two Russians and one American, with the American the last purchased seat bought by NASA on a Soyuz. Unless they sign a new deal with Russia, the next Americans to go to ISS must fly on American capsules.
The leaders in the 2020 launch race:
6 China
5 SpaceX
5 Russia
2 Europe
2 ULA
The U.S. continues to lead China 9 to 6 in the national rankings.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
The Russians early today successfully launched three astronauts into orbit, using their Soyuz-2 rocket and Soyuz capsule.
The crew, heading to ISS, is two Russians and one American, with the American the last purchased seat bought by NASA on a Soyuz. Unless they sign a new deal with Russia, the next Americans to go to ISS must fly on American capsules.
The leaders in the 2020 launch race:
6 China
5 SpaceX
5 Russia
2 Europe
2 ULA
The U.S. continues to lead China 9 to 6 in the national rankings.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Fun Fact: I didn’t know until now that there’s a movie that’s required viewing for anyone launching on a Soyuz:
https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/04/i-was-bored-so-i-watched-the-movie-that-astronauts-must-view-before-launch/
Apparently the movie was watched by the crew of the Soyuz 12, who were returning to flight after the disaster of Soyuz 11. It’s now considered good luck to watch before any flight.
Vedemosti is reporting that NASA is expected to sign a contract for one seat each on MS-17 and MS-18: https://www.vedomosti.ru/politics/articles/2020/02/16/823140-v
The astronaut listed for MS-17 is Stephen Bowen.
I’ve yet to see any confirmation from NASA sources, however; so take it for what it’s worth. It could be that with Starliner kicked back to next year, they don’t want to take any chances.
Of course if that happens, and USCV-1 goes off as scheduled, that means that, come October, there would be 4 US astronauts, 1 JAXA astronaut, and 2 Russian cosmonauts on the ISS.