# Soyuz TMA-09M

> 2013 Russian crewed spaceflight to the ISS

**Wikidata**: [Q2118077](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2118077)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_TMA-09M)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/soyuz-tma-09m

## Summary
Soyuz TMA-09M is a 2013 Russian crewed spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS) that transported three astronauts on a 166-day mission. It was part of the Soyuz programme and marked a routine crew rotation for Expeditions 36 and 37.

## Key Facts
- **Launch Date**: May 28, 2013, from Gagarin's Start using a Soyuz-FG launch vehicle
- **Landing Date**: November 11, 2013, in Kazakhstan (47.315166388889°N, 69.459663333333°E)
- **Crew**: Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, Flight Engineer Karen L. Nyberg, Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano
- **Mission Duration**: 16 days, 7 hours (1,436,5080 seconds) from launch to landing
- **Orbital Profile**: Periapsis 408 km, apoapsis 422 km, orbital period 92.87 minutes, inclination 51.65°
- **Call Sign**: Olympus
- **Backup Crew**: Mikhail Tyurin (commander), Richard Mastracchio (FE1), Koichi Wakata (FE2)
- **Predecessor**: Soyuz TMA-08M; Successor**: Soyuz TMA-10M
- **Spacecraft Model**: Soyuz TMA-M

## FAQs
### Q: What was the purpose of Soyuz TMA-09M?
A: It served as a crew transport vehicle for Expedition 36 and 37, rotating astronauts to maintain continuous human presence on the ISS. The mission enabled long-term scientific research and station operations.

### Q: Who were the crew members of Soyuz TMA-09M?
A: The primary crew included Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin (Russia), Flight Engineer Karen L. Nyberg (USA), and Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano (ESA). Backup crew consisted of Mikhail Tyurin, Richard Mastracchio, and Koichi Wakata.

### Q: How long did Soyuz TMA-09M dock with the ISS?
A: It remained docked to the ISS's Rassvet module from May 29, 2013, until November 10, 2013, spanning approximately 5 months of operations.

### Q: What made Soyuz TMA-09M's flight profile unique?
A: It featured a 6-hour "fast-track" rendezvous with the ISS, typical for Soyuz-TMA-M missions after 2013, reducing transit time from the previous two-day approach.

## Why It Matters
Soyuz TMA-09M exemplified the Soyuz programme's role as the backbone of ISS crew transportation during NASA's Space Shuttle retirement. Its mission sustained continuous human presence on the ISS, enabling crucial experiments in biology, physics, and human adaptation to microgravity. The mission also reinforced international cooperation, transporting astronauts from Russia, the US, and ESA to maintain multinational space research. Its reliability and fast-rapproach technique set standards for subsequent Soyuz flights, ensuring uninterrupted access to the orbiting laboratory during a pivotal transition period in human spaceflight.

## Notable For
- **6-hour rendezvous** with the ISS, a hallmark of the Soyuz-TMA-M upgrade  
- **Expedition 37 transition** as Luca Parmitano became the first ESA astronaut to command an ISS increment  
- **Total flight time of 166 days**, covering over 2,700 orbits around Earth  
- **Landing in Kazakhstan** under daylight conditions on November 11, 2013  
- **Crew international composition**: Russian, American, and European representatives  

## Body
### Mission Overview
Soyuz TMA-09M was a 2013 Russian human spaceflight launched on May 28, 2013, to deliver three crew members to the ISS. The mission lasted 166 days and terminated with a landing on November 11, 2013. It was operated by Roscosmos as part of the Soyuz programme, using a Soyuz-FG launch vehicle from the Baikonur Cosmodrome's Gagarin's Start.

### Technical Specifications
- **Spacecraft**: Soyuz TMA-M (model variant with digital avionics)  
- **Call Sign**: Olympus  
- **Orbit**: Low Earth orbit at 408–422 km altitude  
- **Orbital Parameters**: 92.87-minute period, 51.65° inclination  
- **Launch Mass**: Approx. 7,200 kg (standard Soyuz configuration)  

### Crew Details
**Primary Crew**:  
- Commander: Fyodor Yurchikhin (Russia, Expedition 36)  
- Flight Engineer 1: Karen L. Nyberg (USA, Expedition 36)  
- Flight Engineer 2: Luca Parmitano (ESA, Expedition 37)  

**Backup Crew**:  
- Mikhail Tyurin (Commander), Richard Mastracchio (FE1), Koichi Wakata (FE2)  

### Key Mission Events
1. **Launch**: May 28, 2013, from Gagarin's Start via Soyuz-FG rocket  
2. **Docking**: Berthed to ISS Rassvet module on May 29, 2013, after 6-hour flight  
3. **Undocking**: Departed ISS on November 10, 2013  
4. **Landing**: November 11, 2013, at 02:26 UTC in Kazakhstan  

### Significance
The mission maintained continuous ISS occupancy during the post-Shuttle era, supported over 100 scientific experiments, and demonstrated the Soyuz-TMA-M's fast-rapproach capability. It marked ESA's first station command role and facilitated crucial research in microgravity biology.

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## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report
2. [Source](http://www.spacefacts.de/mission/english/soyuz-tma-09m.htm)
3. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013