Expedition 13

ISS Expedition 13 mission is the designation for the 13 long-term crew of the International Space Station ( ISS). The crew lived and worked between April 1, 2006 and September 28, 2006 on board the ISS.

• 2.1 Work of the crew on board
• 2.2 Supply and visits

Team

• Pavel Vinogradov ( second space flight), Commander ( Roscosmos / Russia)
• Jeffrey Williams ( second space flight), flight engineer (NASA / USA)
• From July 2006 Thomas Reiter ( 2nd space flight), flight engineer (ESA / Germany )

Backup crew

• Fyodor Nikolayevich Yurchikhin, Commander ( Roscosmos / Russia)
• Michael Fincke, Flight Engineer (NASA / USA)
• Léopold Eyharts, Flight Engineer (ESA / France)

Mission Description

Work of the crew on board

The Russian commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Jeffrey Williams, the American started on 30 March 2006 together with the Brazilian Marcos Pontes guest spaceman with space ship Soyuz TMA -8. Two days later, in automatic mode, the docking at the Zarya module of the International Space Station (ISS).

The return of the 12 long-term occupation, together with visitors cosmonaut Pontes, took place with the Soyuz TMA -7 on April 8. In order that the expedition had 13 taken command of the space station.

Originally, NASA had planned, William McArthur return the Space Shuttle, but this had to give up because of problems and launch delays, the orbiter fleet. Moreover, it was provided that the original also for Expedition 13 belonging German ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter with the shuttle mission STS -121 in fall 2005 to bring to the station. For technical reasons had to STS -121 will be postponed to the summer of the following year so that riders only on 6 July 2006 arrived as the third member of the ISS Expedition 13 on the ISS. In order for the station for the first time since 2003, had a three-headed long-term occupation.

After a short period of adaptation to space and the acclimatization, the first few weeks of experiments were devoted with liquids. It was about the capillary and the freezing of liquids in weightlessness. End of April 2006 then hit the first supply ship (Progress M -56) one at the station and brought 2.3 tons of equipment, breathing air, water and food.

Another experiment was conducted in mid-May, was SPHERES (Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites ). It is a micro- satellite with a diameter of 20 centimeters, which was exposed within the station and controlled by Jeff Williams wirelessly. But SPHERES could also carry out autonomous maneuvers. The satellite is used to test new technologies that can be used in missions with multiple satellites flying in formation.

Parallel to this the intense preparations for the first spacewalk. This took place in the night of 1 to 2 June under the direction of cosmonaut Vinogradov and therefore also in Russian Orlan spacesuits. The spaceman rose at 22:48 UTC out of the Russian Pirs module. In the spacewalk, a nozzle was replaced, the transferor of the hydrogen produced by the "electron" - oxygen system in the Zvezda module into space. In addition, several external attachments at station experiments were collected, and replaced a failed camera system on the mobile base. All tasks were at the 6 hours and 31 -minute exit fulfilled.

The repaired electron system was first put into operation a few days after the spacewalk, again, turned, however, after only seven hours because of a fault in the power supply. For the crew of the set, however, is not dangerous, because the oxygen can also be obtained directly from the Progress inventories. The problem with the power supply was finally resolved on 11 June. Since then does electron back to normal.

On 6 July, the ISS crew was increased by a crew member, as the German Thomas Reiter with the U.S. space shuttle Discovery moored at the station. As at 16.30 UTC, the hatches were opened, it was for Vinogradov and Williams 's first visit since they took over the station. During the remaining six shuttle astronauts returned to Earth after a few days, riders remains about half a year on board.

On August 3, another spacewalk was on the program. This time, Thomas Reiter and Jeff Williams left the station in American spacesuits. The EVA began at 14:04 UTC - nine minutes later than planned because the exit hatch of the airlock Quest jammed. During the nearly six-hour exit the two spacemen, performed work for the maintenance of the station. First they installed with the FPMU (Floating Potential Measurement Unit ) is a device used to measure the electrical charge at the station. Then they assembled two MISSE - container with which the effects of space on materials to be tested. Later, Williams brought a flood light system to support future exits, while riders tested an infrared camera that will be used to detect damage to the shuttle heat shield tiles. After all, they still exchanged a faulty GPS antenna. The exit was the 69th, which was devoted to the creation or maintenance of the space station.

A day after the STS -115 Space Shuttle Atlantis had separated from the space station, it came on 18 September on board the ISS to an incident: The oxygen generator "electron" is heated excessively and Dichtungswandungen charred. This came out of the device from some potassium hydroxide solution, which emitted a strange odor, which the three astronauts were alerted. Thomas Reiter and his two roommates put on masks and gloves and set about repairing the oxygen- producing unit. After a short time the team was able to give the all clear. NASA stated that the lives of the astronauts was never in danger. Reiter said a few days later in an interview that although there had a bit strong smell that the excitement was, however, have been less than might have been from Earth appear.

After 180 days on the ISS Vinogradov and Williams returned on 29 September 2006 back to Earth. Thomas Reiter was a member of the ISS Expedition 14 further three months on the space station and followed with STS -116 on 22 December 2006.

Supply and visits

After the visit of STS -121 in July 2006 reached only two months later with STS -115, another space shuttle flight, the space station. There was the P3/P4-Element, which consists of a lattice structure, and a solar module on board. With three extravehicular activities from a total of 20 hours, the new segment was mounted and thus the ISS expanded for the first time after four years of interruption.

In addition, the crew was supplied twice Progress spaceships with new inventories, once in April and again in June. These ships remain docked at the station until the end of Expedition 13.

Mission Emblem

As of July 2006: three names, three states

The mission emblem of the Expedition 13 shows the ISS against the backdrop of the Earth. In addition, the moon and the planet Mars are shown to demonstrate that the ISS plays a major role for space exploration beyond Earth orbit. There are two versions of the mission emblem, on which two or all three members of the expedition may be mentioned. The first version includes only the names of Vinogradov and Williams, as well as the national colors of Russia and the USA. Another version covers the period from July 2006. Rider Here name was inserted, and the German colors black, red and gold appear in any line.