# Soyuz TMA-15M

> 2014 flight to the International Space Station

**Wikidata**: [Q610681](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q610681)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_TMA-15M)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/soyuz-tma-15m

## Summary
Soyuz TMA-15M was a 2014 Russian crewed spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS) that transported three astronauts to support Expedition 42/43. It launched on November 23, 2014, aboard a Soyuz-FG rocket and landed on June 11, 2015, in Kazakhstan. The mission marked the final flight of the Soyuz TMA-M spacecraft model before its upgrade.

## Key Facts
- **Launch Date**: November 23, 2014
- **Landing Date**: June 11, 2015
- **Crew**: Commander Anton Shkaplerov (Russia), Flight Engineer 1 Samantha Cristoforetti (Italy/ESA), Flight Engineer 2 Terry Virts (USA/NASA)
- **Spacecraft Model**: Soyuz TMA-M (last mission of this variant)
- **Launch Vehicle**: Soyuz-FG rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 31
- **Orbit**: Low Earth orbit with 51.65° inclination, 408–417 km altitude
- **Mission Duration**: 287,011 minutes (~199 days)
- **Preceded By**: Soyuz TMA-14M; **Followed By**: Soyuz TMA-16M

## FAQs
### Q: Who was on the Soyuz TMA-15M crew?
A: The crew included Russian commander Anton Shkaplerov, Italian ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, and NASA astronaut Terry Virts.

### Q: How long did the Soyuz TMA-15M mission last?
A: The mission lasted approximately 199 days, from November 23, 2014, to June 11, 2015.

### Q: What made Soyuz TMA-15M notable?
A: It was the final flight of the Soyuz TMA-M spacecraft model and included Samantha Cristoforetti, who set a record for the longest single spaceflight by a European astronaut at the time.

## Why It Matters
Soyuz TMA-15M played a critical role in maintaining continuous human presence aboard the ISS during Expedition 42/43. The mission facilitated scientific research, station maintenance, and international collaboration, with crew members representing Russia, the United States, and the European Space Agency. As the last flight of the TMA-M variant, it bridged the transition to upgraded Soyuz models, ensuring reliable crewed access to space. Cristoforetti’s participation highlighted ESA’s contributions to the ISS program and inspired public engagement with space exploration.

## Notable For
- Final mission of the Soyuz TMA-M spacecraft class before its replacement by the Soyuz MS.
- Carried Samantha Cristoforetti, who spent 199 days in space, the longest single mission by a European astronaut at the time.
- Supported Expedition 42/43, contributing to hundreds of scientific experiments and a robotic spacecraft docking test.
- Docked at the Rassvet module, a Russian segment of the ISS.

## Body
### Mission Overview
Soyuz TMA-15M launched on November 23, 2014, at 21:01 UTC from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 31 in Kazakhstan. The spacecraft docked with the ISS’s Rassvet module approximately 5.5 hours later. The crew joined Expedition 42, later transitioning to Expedition 43, and returned to Earth on June 11, 2015, landing in Kazakhstan at coordinates 47.331°N, 69.755°E.

### Crew Roles
- **Anton Shkaplerov** (Roscosmos): Mission commander and ISS flight engineer.
- **Samantha Cristoforetti** (ESA): Flight engineer and ESA’s first female astronaut to reach space.
- **Terry Virts** (NASA): Flight engineer and ISS commander during Expedition 43.

### Orbital Parameters
- **Periapsis**: 408 km
- **Apoapsis**: 417 km
- **Inclination**: 51.65°
- **Orbit Type**: Low Earth orbit

### Spacecraft and Launch Vehicle
- **Spacecraft**: Soyuz TMA-M (serial number 215)
- **Launch Vehicle**: Soyuz-FG (retired in 2019)
- **Operator**: Roscosmos State Corporation

## Schema Markup
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  "description": "2014 Russian crewed spaceflight to the International Space Station",
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  "launchDate": "2014-11-23",
  "landingDate": "2015-06-11",
  "operator": "Roscosmos State Corporation"
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## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report
2. [Source](http://www.spacefacts.de/mission/english/soyuz-tma-15m.htm)
3. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
4. BabelNet