Soyuz TMA-9 launched 2006

Soyuz TMA-9 crew (L-R): Michael Lopez-Alegria, Anousheh Ansari, Mikhail Tyurin

Mission patch

Soyuz TMA-9, launched September 18, 2006, transported a tourist to the International Space Station and another back to Earth.  Its crew consisted of Commander Mikhail Tyurin (Roscosmos) and Michael Lopez-Alegria (NASA).  Anousheh Ansari, an Iranian-American engineer, was the first self-funded woman in space, the fourth overall self-funded space tourist, and the first Iranian in space.

Tyurin and Lopez-Alegria were part of Expedition 14.  They returned to Earth in April 2007 with space tourist Charles Simonyi, the second Hungarian in space.  Ansari stayed only 9 days aboard the ISS.

Discovery (STS-105) launched 2001

STS-105 crew

Center (L-R) Fredeirck Sturckow, Patrick Forrester, Daniel Barry, Scott Horowitz

Top Left (L-R): James Voss, Yury Usachev, Susan Helms

Top Right (L-R): Mikhail Tyurin, Frank Culbertson, Vladimir Dezhurov

Mission patch

Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-105), launched August 10, 2001, carried the third crew to the International Space Station and brought the second crew back home.  Its crew consisted of Commander Scott Horowitz, Pilot Frederick Sturckow, Patrick Forrester and Daniel Barry.  The members of Expedition 3 were Frank Culbertson, Mikhail Tyurin and Vladimir Dezhurov.

Barry and Forrester conducted 2 EVAs lasting a total of 11 hours and 45 minutes. Discovery returned to Earth August 22 with the crew of Expedition 2: Yury Usachev, James Voss and Susan Helms.

During the mission they woke up to Sting's Brand New Day!

Soyuz TMA-11M launched 2013

 

Wakata, Tyurin, Mastracchio

The Soyuz TMA-11M mission, launched November 7, 2013, was the 120th flight of the Soyuz spacecraft.  When Soyuz reached the International Space Station, the Olympic torch was passed for the first time in outer space!  It returned to Earth 5 days later on Soyuz TMA-09M.

TMA-11M's crew consisted of  Commander Mikhail Tyurin (Russian), Flight Engineer Richard Mastracchio (Connecticut) and Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata (Japanese).

Soyuz TMA-11M returned to Earth May 14, 2014.