# Soyuz TMA-7

> transport mission

**Wikidata**: [Q965236](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q965236)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_TMA-7)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/soyuz-tma-7

## Summary
Soyuz TMA-7 is a Russian Soyuz-TMA spacecraft mission that transported the Expedition 12 crew to and from the International Space Station. It was launched on 2005-10-01 by a Soyuz-FG rocket from Gagarin's Start at Baikonur and landed in Kazakhstan on 2006-04-08.

## Key Facts
- Soyuz TMA-7 is an instance of the Soyuz-TMA spacecraft class and a human spaceflight transport mission operated by Roscosmos State Corporation.
- Launch date: 2005-10-01 from Baikonur Cosmodrome (Gagarin's Start).
- Landing date: 2006-04-08; landing location: Kazakhstan (latitude 50.667616666667, longitude 67.3562).
- Launch vehicle: Soyuz-FG.
- Mission duration: 16,401,180 seconds (as recorded).
- Mass at takeoff: 7,200 kilograms.
- Crew (roles): Valeri Tokarev (spacecraft commander, Expedition 12), William S. McArthur (Flight Engineer 1, Expedition 12). Gregory Olsen served as Flight Engineer 2 at takeoff; Marcos Pontes served as Flight Engineer 2 at landing.
- Orbit: low Earth orbit with periapsis ~200 km, apoapsis ~252 km, orbital inclination 51.64°, orbital period ~88.7 minutes.
- Orbits completed: 2,987.
- COSPAR ID: 2005-039A. Spacecraft catalogue number (SCN): 28877.
- Part of the Soyuz programme; mission immediately followed Soyuz TMA-6 and was followed by Soyuz TMA-8.

## FAQs
### Q: What was Soyuz TMA-7?
A: Soyuz TMA-7 was a Soyuz-TMA class crewed transport mission that carried the Expedition 12 crew to the International Space Station. It was launched by Roscosmos on 2005-10-01 and returned on 2006-04-08.

### Q: Who flew on Soyuz TMA-7?
A: The mission carried Valeri Tokarev (spacecraft commander) and William S. McArthur (Flight Engineer 1) as Expedition 12 crew. Gregory Olsen flew as Flight Engineer 2 at launch; Marcos Pontes was recorded as Flight Engineer 2 at landing.

### Q: Where and when did Soyuz TMA-7 launch and land?
A: Soyuz TMA-7 launched from Gagarin's Start at Baikonur Cosmodrome on 2005-10-01. It landed in Kazakhstan on 2006-04-08 at coordinates approximately 50.667616666667 N, 67.3562 E.

### Q: What were the spacecraft's orbital parameters?
A: The spacecraft operated in low Earth orbit with a periapsis of about 200 km, an apoapsis of about 252 km, an orbital inclination of 51.64°, and an orbital period of about 88.7 minutes.

## Why It Matters
Soyuz TMA-7 is a representative mission in the long-running Soyuz programme that supports continuous human presence on the International Space Station. As a Soyuz-TMA class transport mission, it carried the Expedition 12 crew to the ISS and returned several crew members at mission end, demonstrating the routine crew rotation and lifeboat capability that Soyuz missions provide. The mission shows the integrated role of Russian-built spacecraft and launch vehicles (Soyuz-TMA spacecraft and Soyuz-FG rocket) in maintaining station operations, crew exchange, and international partnerships. Its multi-month duration, nearly 3,000 orbits, and specific logistics of exchanging a flight engineer between launch and landing illustrate how crew rotations and visiting participants are managed within the ISS program. The mission’s precise orbital parameters, launch site (Gagarin’s Start), and landing coordinates in Kazakhstan are concrete data points used for operational planning, tracking, and historical record-keeping.

## Notable For
- Transported the Expedition 12 long-duration crew (Valeri Tokarev and William S. McArthur) to the ISS.
- Carried Gregory Olsen as a flight engineer at launch and returned Marcos Pontes as a flight engineer at landing, reflecting visiting/seat-exchange operations.
- Launched from the historic Gagarin's Start pad at Baikonur using a Soyuz-FG launcher.
- Completed 2,987 orbits in low Earth orbit during its mission.

## Body

### Overview
- Name: Soyuz TMA-7.
- Spacecraft class: Soyuz-TMA (revision of the Soyuz spacecraft).
- Operator: Roscosmos State Corporation.
- Program: Part of the Soyuz programme.
- Instance type: Human spaceflight transport mission.

### Timeline and Major Events
- Launch: 2005-10-01 from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Gagarin's Start.
- Significant event (launch): rocket launch from Gagarin's Start on 2005-10-01.
- Landing: 2006-04-08 in Kazakhstan at ~50.667616666667 N, 67.3562 E.
- Significant event (landing): landing in Kazakhstan on 2006-04-08.

### Crew and Roles
- Valeri Tokarev — spacecraft commander; part of Expedition 12.
- William S. McArthur — Flight Engineer 1; part of Expedition 12.
- Gregory Olsen — Flight Engineer 2 (applies to part: takeoff).
- Marcos Pontes — Flight Engineer 2 (applies to part: landing).

### Vehicle and Spacecraft Data
- Launch vehicle: Soyuz-FG.
- Spacecraft mass at takeoff: 7,200 kg.
- Spacecraft catalogue number (SCN): 28877.
- COSPAR ID: 2005-039A.
- Freebase ID: /m/0744r9.

### Orbital and Mission Parameters
- Orbit type: Low Earth orbit.
- Periapsis: ~200 km (Earth).
- Apoapsis: ~252 km (Earth).
- Orbital inclination: 51.64°.
- Orbital period: ~88.7 minutes.
- Orbits completed: 2,987.
- Mission duration recorded as 16,401,180 seconds.

### Relationships to Other Missions
- Follows: Soyuz TMA-6.
- Followed by: Soyuz TMA-8.

### Images and Media
- Commons images associated: Soyuz TMA-7 spacecraft and Crew of Soyuz TMA-7.

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## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
3. [Source](https://www.energia.ru/eng/news/news-2005/press_release_iss-16.html)
4. [Source](http://www.spacefacts.de/mission/english/soyuz-tma-7.htm)