Soyuz TMA-3A
Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.
Venturestar docks to ISS, 1994 Concept. Lockheed-Martin's "Aeroballistic Rocket" spaceplane -- now called Venturestar -- docks with the Space Station. This 1994 illustration shows what the "Alpha" International Space Station would look like, without Russian modules.
Credit: NASA via Marcus Lindroos
Soyuz TMA-3 was originally to switch lifeboats on the ISS. After the Columbia disaster, the remaining shuttles were grounded. Soyuz TMA-3 instead flew with a skeleton crew to provide minimal manning of space station while shuttle was grounded.
The crew would have returned to earth in the Soyuz TMA-2 already docked to the station. The third crew position (Skripochka) was uncertain -- a paying space tourist would have taken that spot if one could be found and trained in time. After the Columbia disaster, the remaining shuttles were grounded. The Soyuz was then the only means of keeping the station manned. It was therefore decided that Soyuz TMA-3 would fly with the skeleton crew of Foale and Kaleri.
Related
- People
- Kuipers, Dezhurov, Skripochka
- Spacecraft
- Soyuz TMA
Chronology
1 event
2003 November 12
- Soyuz TMA-3A (cancelled) - .
Crew: Dezhurov,
Kuipers,
Skripochka.
Nation: Russia.
Related Persons: Dezhurov,
Kuipers,
Skripochka.
Agency: RAKA.
Program: ISS.
Class: Manned.
Type: Manned spacecraft. Flight: Soyuz TMA-3A.
Spacecraft Bus: Soyuz.
Spacecraft: Soyuz TMA.
Soyuz TMA-3 was originally to switch lifeboats on the International Space Station. The crew would have returned to earth in the Soyuz TMA-2 already docked to the station. After the Columbia disaster, the remaining shuttles were grounded. The Soyuz was then the only means of keeping the station manned. It was therefore decided that Soyuz TMA-3 would fly with the skeleton crew of Foale and Kaleri.