Muszaphar

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10 October 2007 13:22 GMT. Landing Date: 2007-10-21 10:36:00 PM. Flight Time: 10.88 days. Flight Up: Soyuz TMA-11. Flight Back: Soyuz TMA-10. Crew: Muszaphar. Backup Crew: Khaleed. Program: ISS. Malaysian astronaut Muszaphar was selected to fly into space by the Malaysian space agency as the result of a national competition. Malaysia was provided the flight free of charge as part of an arms deal.

On 29 September 2005 the Russian Federal Space Agency and the Government of Malaysia signed a Contract for performance of science research activities and experiments under the ANGKASA MSM Project during the flight of Malaysian astronaut Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Al Masrie as a spaceflight participant of visiting crew 13 (EP-13) to the International Space Station. Eight experiments under ANGKASA MSM Project (Malaysia) were performed onboard the ISS RS under the EP-13 program; five under the Malaysian National Program and three under a joint program with the European Space Agency. Public relations and symbolic activities were also carried out by Shukor during the mission. Mission activities included:

• Launch of Malaysian guest cosmonaut Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Al Masrie, aboard Soyuz TMA-11 manned transport space vehicle;
• Unloading of the Soyuz TMA-11 transport space vehicle after it has docked with the International Space Station
• Soyuz space vehicles changeover with replacement of Soyuz TMA-10 (mated to ISS since April 9, 2007) with Soyuz TMA-11 as the ISS crew rescue vehicle
• Performance of the experimental program under ANGKASA MSM Project (ETD-M, MOP-M, MUSCLE-M, FIS, CIS, MIS, PCS, TOP) onboard the ISS;
• Servicing of Soyuz transport space vehicle systems;
• Individual life support activities onboard the ISS
• ISS emergency drill practice
• Return of equipment to Soyuz TMA-10 transport space vehicle
• Landing of Shukor together with the two EO-15 long duration crewmembers Fedor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov in the descent capsule of Soyuz TMA-10 transport space vehicle. A guidance failure resulted in the capsule making an 8.6 G ballistic reentry and landing 340 km short of the planned touchdown point, but Shukor told the press he had been 'trained well' for such a contingency.

• Life Science Research (4 experiments/24 sessions):
  ETD-M: Effects of microgravity on the motility, behavior and aging response of Drosophila fruit fly strains.
  MOP-M: Vestibular adaptation to g-transitions
  MUSCLE-M: Assessment of astronaut deep muscle atrophy in response to microgravity exposure
  FIS: Malaysian Food In Space
• Biotechnology Research (3 experiments/5 sessions):
  CIS: Cells In Space
  MIS: Effects of spaceflight on gene expression profiles of E. cloacae and Acinetobacter baumanii
  PCS: Protein Crystallization in Space
• Educational Projects (1 experiment/2 sessions):
  TOP: Study of Spinning Motions in Microgravity Environment

• 2007 Oct 10 - Soyuz TMA-11  Crew: Whitson, Malenchenko, Muszaphar. Spacecraft: Soyuz TMA. Payload: Soyuz TMA s/n 221 / ISS 15S. Mass: 7,200 kg (15,800 lb). Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Duration: 191.80 days. Perigee: 340 km (210 mi). Apogee: 344 km (213 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.40 min.

  Soyuz TMA-11 delivered the EO-16 crew of Whitson and Malenchenko and EP-13 space tourist Shukor to the International Space Station. The Soyuz docked at the Zarya module at 14:50 GMT on 12 October. Whitson was EO-16 commander, with third astronaut Clay Anderson remaining aboard the station after the EO-15 crew and Shukor returned to earth on Soyuz TMA-10.

  Malenchenko and Whitson, together with visiting Korean astronaut Yi, who had been delivered to the ISS by Soyuz TMA-12, undocked from the station aboard Soyuz TMA-11 at 05:06 GMT on 19 April 2008. Following the deorbit burn at 07:40 GMT the aft service module of the Soyuz failed to separate and the spacecraft began re-entry in a reversed position, with the forward hatch taking the initial re-entry heating. As was the case with Soyuz 5 in 1970, the connections with the service module finally melted away, and the freed capsule righted itself aerodynamically with the heat shield taking the brunt of the re-entry heating. However the crew experienced a rough ride, a ballistic re-entry of over 8 G's force, smoke in the cabin, a failure of the soft landing system, and a very hard landing. They landed 470 km short of the target point at 50 deg 31" N, 61 deg 7" E at 08:29 GMT. A small grass fire was started at the landing point and the injured crew had to be helped from the capsule by passers-by. Malenchenko and Whitson suffered no permanent injury, but Yi was hit by Whitson's personal effects bag on impact and required physical therapy for neck and spine injuries.

• 2007 Oct 21 - Landing of Soyuz TMA-10