Soyuz TMA-20M Spacecraft Awaits March 18 Launch Date

Summary: Soyuz TMA-20M spacecraft awaits March 18 launch date to transport one American and two Russian crew members to the International Space Station.

Expedition 47 crew members NASA astronaut Jeff Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Skripochka and Alexei Ovchinin pose for a photograph prior to Soyuz qualification exams Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016, at Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia; credit NASA/Bill Ingalls: NASA News Release March 10, 2016, via NASA

The Soyuz TMA-20M spacecraft that is expected to carry one American and two Russian crew members to the International Space Station stands ready for liftoff in Kazakhstan in anticipation of scheduled launching Friday, March 18, at 9:26 p.m. Coordinated Universal Time.

NASA astronaut Jeffrey “Jeff” Nels Williams’ imminent membership in Expeditions 47 and 48 count as his fourth spaceflight and his third long-duration stay onboard the International Space Station. Williams’ upcoming six-month mission will boost the total of his cumulative days in space to 534. Williams’ achievement surpasses the record of 520 for most cumulative time recently set Tuesday, March 1, by Commander Scott Kelly on his last day onboard the International Space Station.

Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Nikolayevich Ovchinin and Oleg Ivanovich Skriprochka will be joining Williams in the journey to the International Space Station via the Soyuz TMA-20M spacecraft. The mission serves as the first spaceflight for Ovchinin and the second for Skriprochka.

Skriprochka’s first mission on the International Space Station coincided with Scott Kelly’s third spaceflight. On Sept. 25, 2010, Kelly and Skripochka joined veteran Russian cosmonaut Alexander Kaleri in the Soyuz TMA-18 for the journey to the space station. The trio participated in Expeditions 25 and 26 and returned to Kazakhstan Nov. 26, 2010, via the Soyuz TMA-19.

The trip from Kazakhstan to the International Space Station is expected to take less than six hours. Onboard the station, the three new crew members will be joining the current trio of Timothy “Tim” Kopra, first British astronaut Timothy “Tim” Peake and Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko.

Kopra, Peake and Malenchenko have been based at the station since their arrival Dec. 15, 2015, via Soyuz TMA-19M. They joined Commander Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonauts Mikhail “Misha” Kornienko, onboard since March 27, 2015, for NASA’s Year in Space Mission, and Sergey Volkov, onboard since Sept. 2, 2015. On his departure day, Scott Kelly transferred command of the International Space Station to Tim Kopra.

Friday’s launch is slated for 5:26 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (9:26 p.m. Coordinated Universal Time). NASA Television plans to begin coverage at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (8:30 p.m. Coordinated Universal Time). The full schedule of prelaunch, launch and docking coverage is available at http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

Docking at the International Space Station on Friday will take place at Poisk Mini-Research Module 2 (MRM 2). The Poisk dock is located on the Zvezda Service Module, the Russian portion of the International Space Station.

On Wednesday, March 16, via his Twitter account, @Astro_Jeff, William reports that the rollout of the rocket has taken place but that strong winds have delayed lifting it to vertical until the evening. His tweet at 5:29 a.m. today announces the good news: “The rocket stands!”

In addition to breaking Scott Kelly’s record later during his mission, Williams will set another NASA record as the first American to undergo a third long-duration stay on the International Space Station.

“I counted it up recently, and I think I’ve been on orbit, at the space station, with 45 different people over the years, both my crewmates and stations crews as well as the shuttle crew as well as visiting shuttle crews that have come to the space station while I’ve been there. So this will add a few more folks to that list. And it’s been a real highlight of my career and my life to be able to share this magnificent experience with those folks,” Williams tells NASA commentator Pat Ryan in an interview March 17, the day before the scheduled Soyuz launch.

Soyuz TMA-20M spacecraft stands ready for March 18 launch: Jeff Williams @Astro_Jeff, via Twitter March 17, 2016

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Expedition 47 crew members NASA astronaut Jeff Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Skripochka and Alexei Ovchinin pose for a photograph prior to Soyuz qualification exams Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016, at Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia; credit NASA/Bill Ingalls: NASA News Release March 10, 2016, via NASA @ http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-television-to-air-launch-of-next-record-breaking-us-astronaut

Soyuz TMA-20M spacecraft stands ready for March 18 launch: Jeff Williams @Astro_Jeff, via Twitter March 17, 2016, @ https://twitter.com/Astro_Jeff/status/710442824169205760

For further information:

Jeff Williams‏ @Astro. "The rocket stands!" Twitter. March 17, 2016.
Available @ https://twitter.com/Astro_Jeff/status/710442824169205760

“NASA Astronaut Jeff Williams Available for Media Interviews before Launch to Space Station.” NASA Press Release. Feb. 18, 2016.
Available @ http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-astronaut-jeff-williams-available-for-media-interviews-before-launch-to-space

NASA Johnson. “Space Station Live: Station Veteran Ready for Historic Flight.” YouTube. March 17, 2016.
Available @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz9Xg7Lv-BU

Warner, Cheryl, and Dan Huot. "NASA Television to Air Launch of Next Record-Breaking Astronaut." NASA > Press Release > Expedition 47. March 10, 2016.
Available @ http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-television-to-air-launch-of-next-record-breaking-us-astronaut