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Soyuz MS-20 facts for kids

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Soyuz MS-20
Soyuz MS-20 docking (cropped).jpg
Docking of Soyuz MS-20
Names ISS 66S
Mission type Crewed mission to ISS, Space tourism
Operator Roscosmos
Website http://en.roscosmos.ru/z
Mission duration 11 days, 19 hours and 34 minutes (achieved)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft Soyuz MS No.752 Altair
Spacecraft type Soyuz MS
Manufacturer RSC Energia
Crew
Crew size 3
Members
Start of mission
Launch date 8 December 2021, 07:38:15 UTC
Rocket Soyuz-2.1a
Launch site Baikonur Cosmodrome, Site 31
Contractor Progress Rocket Space Centre
End of mission
Landing date 20 December 2021, 03:13 UTC
Landing site Kazakh Steppe, Kazakhstan
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric orbit
Regime Low Earth orbit
Inclination 51.66°
Docking with ISS
Docking port Poisk zenith
Docking date 8 December 2021, 13:40:44 UTC
Undocking date 19 December 2021, 23:50:30 UTC
Time docked 11 days, 10 hours and 9 minutes
The Soyuz MS-20 crew (cropped).jpg
Maezawa, Misurkin and Hirano
Soyuz programme (crewed)
Soyuz MS-21 →

Soyuz MS-20 was a Russian Soyuz spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS) launched on 8 December 2021. Unlike previous Soyuz flights to the ISS, Soyuz MS-20 did not deliver any crew members for an ISS Expedition or serve as a lifeboat for any crew members on board the station. Instead, it was commanded by a single professional cosmonaut on board, and carried two space tourists represented by space tourism company Space Adventures, which had already successfully planned and executed eight space tourism missions to the ISS. The flight to reach the ISS took six hours.

Crew

Cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, a veteran of two long duration missions to the ISS, commanded the Soyuz, which has been modified to allow it to be flown by a sole cosmonaut.

Position Crew member
Commander Russia Alexander Misurkin, Roscosmos
Visiting
Third and last spaceflight
Spaceflight participant 1 Japan Yusaku Maezawa, Space Adventures
Visiting
First spaceflight
Spaceflight participant 2 Japan Yozo Hirano, Space Adventures
Visiting
First spaceflight

Backup crew

Position Crew member
Commander Russia Alexander Skvortsov, Roscosmos
Spaceflight participant 1 No back-up
Spaceflight participant 2 Japan Shun Ogiso, Space Adventures

Space tourists

For some time, it was speculated that Austrian airline pilot Johanna Maislinger would take one of the two spaceflight participant seats, but on 13 May 2021, Space Adventures confirmed that Japanese art collector Yusaku Maezawa had acquired both seats, one for himself, with the other being taken by his production assistant, Yozo Hirano. This is the first time that two Japanese space fliers are launched together.

In July 2021, Space Adventures Moscow Office changed their previous story and said that Maislinger had never had access to the funds she had claimed, and they had never treated her as a serious candidate.

It was also reported for a time that Japanese entertainer Yumi Matsutoya was to fly on this space flight.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Soyuz MS-20 para niños

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