# Soyuz TMA-11

> soyuz mission which nearly failed reentry

**Wikidata**: [Q562173](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q562173)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_TMA-11)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/soyuz-tma-11

Here’s the structured knowledge entry for **Soyuz TMA-11**:

---

## Summary  
Soyuz TMA-11 was a Russian Soyuz-TMA spacecraft mission that transported crew members to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2007. It is notable for nearly failing during reentry due to a technical malfunction, resulting in a ballistic descent. The mission carried Expedition 16 crew members and included the first Malaysian spaceflight participant.

## Key Facts  
- **Launch Date**: October 10, 2007, from Baikonur Cosmodrome (Gagarin's Start).  
- **Landing Date**: April 19, 2008, in Kazakhstan (coordinates: 50.5328°N, 61.0999°E).  
- **Crew**:  
  - Yuri Malenchenko (Commander, Expedition 16).  
  - Peggy Whitson (Flight Engineer 1, Expedition 16).  
  - Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor (Spaceflight Participant, launch only).  
  - Yi So-Yeon (Spaceflight Participant, landing only).  
- **Launch Vehicle**: Soyuz-FG.  
- **Orbital Period**: 88.5 minutes in low Earth orbit (inclination: 51.64°).  
- **Mission Duration**: 16571820 seconds (~192 days).  
- **Preceded by**: Soyuz TMA-10.  
- **Succeeded by**: Soyuz TMA-12.  

## FAQs  
### Q: Why is Soyuz TMA-11 famous?  
A: It is known for its near-failure during reentry, resulting in a dangerous ballistic descent instead of a controlled landing.  

### Q: Who was on board Soyuz TMA-11?  
A: The crew included Yuri Malenchenko, Peggy Whitson, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor (launch), and Yi So-Yeon (landing).  

### Q: What went wrong during reentry?  
A: A technical malfunction caused the spacecraft to follow a steeper, uncontrolled descent trajectory, exposing the crew to higher G-forces.  

## Why It Matters  
Soyuz TMA-11 played a critical role in maintaining crew rotations for the International Space Station (ISS) as part of Expedition 16. Its near-failure during reentry highlighted risks in human spaceflight and led to investigations into Soyuz spacecraft safety. The mission also marked milestones, including Malaysia's first astronaut, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, and South Korea's Yi So-Yeon, the first Korean in space. The incident underscored the importance of redundancy and system checks in spacecraft design.

## Notable For  
- **Ballistic Reentry**: Experienced a rare and dangerous ballistic descent due to a separation failure.  
- **First Malaysian in Space**: Carried Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, Malaysia's inaugural spaceflight participant.  
- **Crew Exchange**: Transported Yi So-Yeon, the first South Korean astronaut, during landing.  
- **Expedition 16 Support**: Delivered key crew members for a long-duration ISS mission.  

## Body  
### Mission Overview  
- Launched on October 10, 2007, aboard a Soyuz-FG rocket.  
- Docked with the ISS, delivering Expedition 16 crew members.  

### Reentry Incident  
- On April 19, 2008, the spacecraft's service module failed to separate properly.  
- Resulted in a ballistic reentry, subjecting the crew to ~8 G-forces.  
- Landed 420 km off-target in Kazakhstan.  

### Crew Details  
- **Yuri Malenchenko**: Veteran cosmonaut and mission commander.  
- **Peggy Whitson**: NASA astronaut and Expedition 16 flight engineer.  
- **Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor**: Malaysian orthopaedic surgeon and spaceflight participant.  
- **Yi So-Yeon**: South Korean researcher who returned aboard TMA-11.  

### Technical Specifications  
- **Spacecraft Model**: Soyuz-TMA.  
- **Orbit**: Low Earth orbit (51.64° inclination).  
- **Duration**: 192 days in space.  

## Schema Markup  
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "Soyuz TMA-11",
  "description": "A Russian Soyuz-TMA spacecraft mission known for its near-failure during reentry in 2008.",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q175534",
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_TMA-11"
  ],
  "additionalType": "Human spaceflight mission"
}

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report
2. [Source](http://www.spacefacts.de/mission/english/soyuz-tma-11.htm)
3. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013