# Soyuz MS-09

> Russian crewed flight to the ISS

**Wikidata**: [Q23937039](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23937039)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_MS-09)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/soyuz-ms-09

## Summary
Soyuz MS-09 was a Russian crewed spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS), launched on June 6, 2018, as part of the Soyuz programme. It transported three astronauts—Sergey Prokopyev, Alexander Gerst, and Serena M. Auñón-Chancellor—to the ISS for Expedition 56 and returned them safely to Earth on December 20, 2018.

## Key Facts
- **Launch Date**: June 6, 2018, from Baikonur Cosmodrome (Gagarin's Start).
- **Landing Date**: December 20, 2018, in Kazakhstan (coordinates: 47.4922°N, 69.6947°E).
- **Crew**: Sergey Prokopyev (commander), Alexander Gerst (Flight Engineer 1), Serena M. Auñón-Chancellor (Flight Engineer 2).
- **Duration**: 195 days, 18 hours, 43 minutes (283,309 minutes).
- **Launch Vehicle**: Soyuz-FG rocket.
- **Operator**: Roscosmos State Corporation.
- **Manufacturer**: S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia.
- **Preceded by**: Soyuz MS-08.
- **Followed by**: Soyuz MS-10 (aborted launch on October 11, 2018).
- **COSPAR ID**: 2018-051A.

## FAQs
### Q: What was the purpose of Soyuz MS-09?
A: Soyuz MS-09 was a crewed mission to transport astronauts to the ISS for Expedition 56, supporting scientific research and station maintenance.

### Q: Who were the crew members of Soyuz MS-09?
A: The crew consisted of Sergey Prokopyev (commander), Alexander Gerst (Flight Engineer 1), and Serena M. Auñón-Chancellor (Flight Engineer 2).

### Q: When did Soyuz MS-09 launch and land?
A: It launched on June 6, 2018, and landed on December 20, 2018, after a 195-day mission.

### Q: What happened to the next Soyuz mission after MS-09?
A: The following mission, Soyuz MS-10, was aborted shortly after launch on October 11, 2018, due to a booster failure.

### Q: Where did Soyuz MS-09 land?
A: It landed in Kazakhstan at coordinates 47.4922°N, 69.6947°E.

## Why It Matters
Soyuz MS-09 played a critical role in maintaining continuous human presence on the ISS, enabling scientific research and international collaboration in space. As part of the Soyuz programme, it demonstrated Russia's reliability in crewed spaceflight, even amid challenges like the subsequent MS-10 launch failure. The mission also highlighted the importance of international partnerships, with crew members from Russia, Germany, and the U.S. working together. Its successful completion ensured the ISS remained fully operational, supporting experiments in microgravity, biology, and technology development that benefit life on Earth and future space exploration.

## Notable For
- **International Crew**: Featured astronauts from Russia (Prokopyev), Germany (Gerst), and the U.S. (Auñón-Chancellor).
- **Long-Duration Mission**: Spent 195 days in space, contributing to Expedition 56.
- **Precursor to MS-10 Incident**: The mission immediately preceding the aborted Soyuz MS-10 launch.
- **Precision Landing**: Landed safely in Kazakhstan after completing its mission objectives.
- **Part of Soyuz MS Series**: Represented the latest revision of the Soyuz spacecraft at the time.

## Body
### Mission Overview
Soyuz MS-09 was a crewed flight under the Soyuz programme, operated by Roscosmos. It launched aboard a Soyuz-FG rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome's Gagarin's Start on June 6, 2018. The mission's primary objective was to transport three astronauts to the ISS for Expedition 56.

### Crew and Roles
- **Sergey Prokopyev** (Russia): Spacecraft commander.
- **Alexander Gerst** (Germany/ESA): Flight Engineer 1.
- **Serena M. Auñón-Chancellor** (USA/NASA): Flight Engineer 2.

### Mission Timeline
- **Launch**: June 6, 2018.
- **Docking with ISS**: June 8, 2018.
- **Undocking**: December 20, 2018.
- **Landing**: December 20, 2018, in Kazakhstan.

### Technical Details
- **Spacecraft**: Soyuz MS-09 (latest revision of the Soyuz spacecraft).
- **Launch Vehicle**: Soyuz-FG.
- **Orbit**: Low Earth orbit.
- **Duration**: 195 days, 18 hours, 43 minutes.
- **COSPAR ID**: 2018-051A.

### Backup Crew
The backup team included Oleg Kononenko (Russia), David Saint-Jacques (Canada), and Anne McClain (USA).

### Significant Events
- **Rocket Launch**: Occurred at Gagarin's Start on June 6, 2018.
- **Landing**: Executed on December 20, 2018, marking the end of the mission.

### Context in Soyuz Programme
Soyuz MS-09 followed Soyuz MS-08 and preceded Soyuz MS-10, which experienced a launch abort. The mission underscored the reliability of the Soyuz system, even as the programme faced subsequent challenges.

## Schema Markup
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "Soyuz MS-09",
  "description": "Russian crewed flight to the International Space Station (ISS) launched on June 6, 2018.",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q43493",
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_MS-09"
  ],
  "additionalType": "HumanSpaceflight"
}

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report
2. [Source](http://russianspaceweb.com/soyuz-ms-09.html)
3. [Source](http://www.spacefacts.de/mission/english/soyuz-ms-09.htm)