How do the astronauts get to and from the ISS?

Typically, astronauts travel to the space station via a Russian Soyuz capsule (first launched in 1967), which has long been the only spacecraft that ferries people to the ISS, since NASA’s space shuttle programme retired in 2011.

Who are the main 3 type of astronauts on a space mission?

There are three types of astronauts in the U.S. space program: the commander/pilot, mission specialist, and payload specialist. The commander is responsible for the mission, the crew and the vehicle. The pilot assists the commander in operating the vehicle and deploying satellites.

What do you call a group of astronauts?

The NASA Astronaut Corps is a unit of the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that selects, trains, and provides astronauts as crew members for U.S. and international space missions.

Are mission specialists astronauts?

“Mission specialist” is one of two categories of astronauts in the U.S. space program. Mission specialist astronauts team up with astronaut pilots to form a space shuttle or station crew, and together they operate the spacecraft and carry out the mission’s flight plan.

What is the Soyuz TMA spacecraft?

The Soyuz TMA spacecraft is a replacement for the Soyuz TM, which was used from May 1986 to November 2002 to take astronauts and cosmonauts to Mir and then to the International Space Station beginning in November 2000. The TMA increases safety, especially in descent and landing.

How does the Soyuz space plane work?

The Soyuz commander can pilot the module using a rotational hand controller that manages the firing of eight hydrogen peroxide thrusters on the vehicle’s exterior. This system is deactivated 15 minutes before landing, when the parachutes are deployed.

How do astronauts return to Earth from the International Space Station?

Up to three crew members can return to Earth from the International Space Station aboard a Soyuz TMA spacecraft. The vehicle lands on the flat steppe of Kazakhstan in central Asia. The return to Earth takes less than 3.5 hours.

How does the Soyuz descent module work?

In this illustration, the Soyuz Descent Module reaches Entry Interface, where friction from Earth’s thickening atmosphere heats its outer surfaces. A secondary guidance, navigation and control system in the Descent Module enables the crew to maneuver the vehicle after the Instrumentation/Propulsion Module has been jettisoned.