ESA title
Agency

Blue Dot

28/05/2014 3240 views
ESA / Newsroom / Photos / Highlights

The Soyuz launcher and spacecraft that will propel ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst, NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman and Roscosmos commander Maxim Suarev to the International Space Station on 28 May following liftoff at 19:56 GMT (21:56 pm CEST). 

The Soyuz is assembled in a nearby building and then moved to the pad by train horizontally before being erected for launch.

A lift takes the trio to the top of the 45 m-tall rocket to clamber into their spacecraft. They have a two-hour wait in the cramped cockpit as technicians complete preparations for the rocket to consume 274 tonnes of propellants on the way to orbit.

In less than 10 minutes they will travel 1640 km and accelerate to an astonishing 28 000 km/h before arriving six hours later at their new home for the next six months.

This will be the start of Alexander’s Blue Dot mission as scientist and flight engineer on the Station’s Expeditions 40 and 41.

Blue Dot includes dozens of experiments in physics, biology, human physiology and radiation. A highlight will be the installation of the German-built Electromagnetic Levitator. This furnace can melt and solidify metal alloys away from the container’s walls, helping scientists to understand the solidification and physical properties of molten alloys.

  • Science & Exploration

    Liftoff of Soyuz TMA-13M on 28 May 2014

    28/05/2014 1664 views 8 likes
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    Liftoff of Soyuz TMA-13M on 28 May 2014
  • Science & Exploration

    Liftoff of Soyuz TMA-13M on 28 May 2014

    28/05/2014 695 views 5 likes
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    Liftoff of Soyuz TMA-13M on 28 May 2014
  • Science & Exploration

    Liftoff of Soyuz TMA-13M on 28 May 2014

    28/05/2014 971 views 3 likes
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    Liftoff of Soyuz TMA-13M on 28 May 2014
  • Science & Exploration

    Liftoff of Soyuz TMA-13M on 28 May 2014

    28/05/2014 718 views 3 likes
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    Liftoff of Soyuz TMA-13M on 28 May 2014
  • Science & Exploration

    Liftoff of Soyuz TMA-13M on 28 May 2014

    28/05/2014 782 views 3 likes
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    Liftoff of Soyuz TMA-13M on 28 May 2014
  • Science & Exploration

    Expedition 40/41 crew members greeting audience at the launch pad

    28/05/2014 1517 views 8 likes
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    Expedition 40/41 crew members greeting audience at the launch pad
  • Science & Exploration

    Expedition 40/41 crew members greeting audience at the launch pad

    28/05/2014 1458 views 4 likes
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    Expedition 40/41 crew members greeting audience at the launch pad
  • Science & Exploration

    Alexander Gerst greeting audience at the launch pad

    28/05/2014 1398 views 5 likes
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    Alexander Gerst greeting audience at the launch pad
  • Science & Exploration

    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft

    28/05/2014 1097 views 2 likes
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    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft
  • Science & Exploration

    Expedition 40/41 crew members and dignitaries at the launch pad

    28/05/2014 880 views 4 likes
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    Expedition 40/41 crew members and dignitaries at the launch pad
  • Science & Exploration

    Expedition 40/41 crew members and Oleg Ostapenko

    28/05/2014 977 views 2 likes
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    Expedition 40/41 crew members and Oleg Ostapenko
  • Science & Exploration

    Arrival at the launch pad of Expedition 40/41 crew members

    28/05/2014 818 views 1 likes
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    Arrival at the launch pad of Expedition 40/41 crew members
  • Science & Exploration

    Expedition 40/41 crew members dressed in their Russian Sokol suits

    28/05/2014 655 views 2 likes
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    Expedition 40/41 crew members dressed in their Russian Sokol suits
  • Science & Exploration

    Sokol suit pressure testing

    28/05/2014 1041 views 1 likes
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    Sokol suit pressure testing
  • Science & Exploration

    Expedition 40/41 crew members dressed in their Russian Sokol suits

    28/05/2014 587 views 1 likes
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    Expedition 40/41 crew members dressed in their Russian Sokol suits
  • Science & Exploration

    Sokol suit pressure testing

    28/05/2014 813 views 0 likes
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    Sokol suit pressure testing
  • Science & Exploration

    Alexander Gerst dressed in his Russian Sokol suit

    28/05/2014 1146 views 4 likes
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    Alexander Gerst dressed in his Russian Sokol suit
  • Science & Exploration

    Expedition 40/41 crew members shortly after leaving the Cosmonaut Hotel

    28/05/2014 693 views 4 likes
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    Expedition 40/41 crew members shortly after leaving the Cosmonaut Hotel
  • Science & Exploration

    Thumbs up from Expedition 40/41

    27/05/2014 669 views 1 likes
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    Thumbs up from Expedition 40/41
  • Science & Exploration

    Blue team

    27/05/2014 2342 views 39 likes
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    Expedition 40/41 and 42/43 astronauts
  • Science & Exploration

    Alexander Gerst during the press conference

    27/05/2014 734 views 3 likes
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    Alexander Gerst during the press conference
  • Science & Exploration

    Alexander Gerst during the press conference

    27/05/2014 725 views 1 likes
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    Alexander Gerst during the press conference
  • Science & Exploration

    Alexander Gerst during the press conference

    27/05/2014 724 views 3 likes
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    Alexander Gerst during the press conference
  • Science & Exploration

    Alexander Gerst during the press conference

    27/05/2014 657 views 3 likes
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    Alexander Gerst during the press conference
  • Science & Exploration

    Alexander Gerst during the press conference

    27/05/2014 628 views 2 likes
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    Alexander Gerst during the press conference
  • Science & Exploration

    Samantha Cristoforetti during the press conference

    27/05/2014 911 views 2 likes
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    Samantha Cristoforetti during the press conference
  • Science & Exploration

    State Commission have given green light for the Soyuz TMA-13M

    27/05/2014 618 views 2 likes
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    State Commission have given green light for the Soyuz TMA-13M
  • Science & Exploration

    Alexander Gerst during the State Commission

    27/05/2014 893 views 3 likes
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    Alexander Gerst during the State Commission
  • Science & Exploration

    State Commission have given green light for the Soyuz TMA-13M

    27/05/2014 597 views 1 likes
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    State Commission have given green light for the Soyuz TMA-13M
  • Science & Exploration

    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft blessed by a priest ahead of takeoff

    27/05/2014 684 views 1 likes
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    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft blessed by a priest ahead of takeoff
  • Science & Exploration

    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft blessed by a priest ahead of takeoff

    27/05/2014 750 views 2 likes
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    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft blessed by a priest ahead of takeoff
  • Science & Exploration

    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft raised into vertical position

    26/05/2014 691 views 2 likes
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    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft raised into vertical position
  • Science & Exploration

    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft roll out

    26/05/2014 1408 views 12 likes
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    Soyuz moving to launchpad
  • Science & Exploration

    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft roll out

    26/05/2014 1045 views 5 likes
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    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft roll out
  • Science & Exploration

    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft raised into vertical position

    26/05/2014 782 views 1 likes
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    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft raised into vertical position
  • Science & Exploration

    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft raised into vertical position

    26/05/2014 633 views 3 likes
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    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft raised into vertical position
  • Science & Exploration

    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft raised into vertical position

    26/05/2014 609 views 3 likes
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    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft raised into vertical position
  • Science & Exploration

    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft raised into vertical position

    26/05/2014 734 views 2 likes
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    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft raised into vertical position
  • Science & Exploration

    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft roll out

    26/05/2014 936 views 6 likes
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    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft roll out
  • Science & Exploration

    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft roll out

    26/05/2014 1397 views 4 likes
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    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft roll out
  • Science & Exploration

    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft roll out

    26/05/2014 2771 views 6 likes
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    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft roll out
  • Science & Exploration

    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft roll out

    26/05/2014 712 views 7 likes
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    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft roll out
  • Science & Exploration

    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft roll out

    26/05/2014 1061 views 4 likes
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    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft roll out
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