May 26, 2014 - Population Growth

Population Growth The launch of the Soyuz TMA-15 mission five years ago this week marked the start of regular six-person crews on the ISS. When astronauts Robert Thirsk, Roman Romanenko, and Frank De Winne arrived at the ISS as members of the Expedition 20 crew, they joined Gennady Padalka, Michael Barratt, and Koichi Wakata, who had already been serving as members of the Expedition 19 crew for two months. After this mission, ISS crews settled into a fairly predictable staggered crew rotation schedule: on average, every three months a new crew of three arrives in a Soyuz TMA spacecraft for a six month stay, while the longest-serving trio of crew members returns to Earth. This view of the ISS solar panels shows the rotation mechanism that allows the panels to track the Sun.

Image credit: NASA

Weekly Calendar

May 26 - June 1, 2014

Holidays - Sky Events - Space History

 

Monday 26

Memorial Day

1951: Sally Ride born

Tuesday 27

2009: Soyuz TMA-15 launched carrying ISS Expedition 20/21 crew

Wednesday 28

New Moon 2:40 PM ET

1959: First primates in space, Able and Baker (monkeys), complete suborbital flight
1964: SA-6 launched, second Saturn I Block 2
2013: Soyuz TMA-09M launched carrying ISS Expedition 36/37 crew
2014: Soyuz TMA-13M launched carrying ISS Expedition 40/41 crew

Thursday 29

Ascension Day

1919: Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity tested during total solar eclipse

Friday 30

Mercury 6° north of Moon

1966: Surveyor 1 launched
1971: Mariner 9 probe launched

Saturday 31

 

1975: European Space Agency formed
1990: Kristall module launched to Mir space station
2008: STS-124 Discovery launched

Sunday 1

Vesta appears stationary
Jupiter 6° north of Moon