ESA title
Agency

Blue Dot

28/05/2014 5219 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 1656 views 7 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 688 views 5 likes
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    Liftoff of Soyuz TMA-13M on 28 May 2014
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    Liftoff of Soyuz TMA-13M on 28 May 2014

    28/05/2014 959 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 715 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 780 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 1509 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 1453 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 1388 views 5 likes
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    Alexander Gerst greeting audience at the launch pad
  • Science & Exploration

    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft

    28/05/2014 1091 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 874 views 4 likes
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    Expedition 40/41 crew members and dignitaries at the launch pad
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    Expedition 40/41 crew members and Oleg Ostapenko

    28/05/2014 968 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 813 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 648 views 2 likes
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    Expedition 40/41 crew members dressed in their Russian Sokol suits
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    Sokol suit pressure testing

    28/05/2014 1026 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 585 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 807 views 0 likes
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    Sokol suit pressure testing
  • Science & Exploration

    Alexander Gerst dressed in his Russian Sokol suit

    28/05/2014 1134 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 686 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 664 views 1 likes
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    Thumbs up from Expedition 40/41
  • Science & Exploration

    Blue team

    27/05/2014 2334 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 725 views 3 likes
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    Alexander Gerst during the press conference
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    Alexander Gerst during the press conference

    27/05/2014 717 views 1 likes
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    Alexander Gerst during the press conference
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    Alexander Gerst during the press conference

    27/05/2014 713 views 3 likes
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    Alexander Gerst during the press conference
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    Alexander Gerst during the press conference

    27/05/2014 645 views 3 likes
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    Alexander Gerst during the press conference
  • Science & Exploration

    Alexander Gerst during the press conference

    27/05/2014 613 views 2 likes
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    Alexander Gerst during the press conference
  • Science & Exploration

    Samantha Cristoforetti during the press conference

    27/05/2014 895 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 609 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 880 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 593 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 682 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 748 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 687 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 1404 views 12 likes
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    Soyuz moving to launchpad
  • Science & Exploration

    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft roll out

    26/05/2014 1037 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 779 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 631 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 606 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 731 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 931 views 6 likes
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    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft roll out
  • Science & Exploration

    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft roll out

    26/05/2014 1378 views 4 likes
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    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft roll out
  • Science & Exploration

    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft roll out

    26/05/2014 2766 views 6 likes
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    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft roll out
  • Science & Exploration

    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft roll out

    26/05/2014 707 views 7 likes
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    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft roll out
  • Science & Exploration

    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft roll out

    26/05/2014 1053 views 4 likes
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    Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft roll out