Happy birthday, Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli!

Paolo Nespoli, born April 6, 1957 in Milan, Italy, is a veteran of three trips into space.

His first trip was aboard Discovery (STS-120) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in October-November 2007.  He conducted science research as part of his mission for the European Space Agency.

His second mission was aboard Soyuz TMA-20 in December 2010 to the ISS where he participated in Expeditions 26 and 27.  He returned to Earth in May 2011.

His third trip was aboard Soyuz MS-05 in July 2017 to the ISS where he participated in Expeditions 52 and 53.  He returned to Earth in December 2017. 

He has spent over 313 days in space.  He retired in 2019.

Soyuz TMA-20 launched 2010

L-R: Catherine Coleman, Dmitri Kondratyev, Paolo Nespoli

Mission patch 

Soyuz TMA-20, launched December 15, 2010, carried the second crew of Expedition 26 to the International Space Station. Its crew consisted of Commander Dmitri Kondratyev (Roscosmos), Catherine Coleman (NASA) and Paolo Nespoli (ESA).  The spacecraft docked with the ISS two days later.

The first crew of Expedition 26 arrived on Soyuz TMA-01M in October. 

After 157 day, Soyuz TMA-20 undocked from the ISS and touched down in Kazakhstan May 24, 2011.

Welcome back to Earth, Expedition 53!

Randy Bresnik, Paolo Nespoli and Sergey Ryazanskiy landed a little after 3:30am EST today (2:30pm in Kazakhstan) completing their mission on the International Space Station.  While on board, they performed many experiments, contributing to studies on microgravity's effect on the antibiotic resistance of E. coli, a baterial pathogen responsible for urinary tract infection, and growing larger versions of an important protein implicated in Parkison's Disease.  This last example was developed by the Michael J. Fox Foundation with two other partners.

They were launched July 28, 2017 aboard Soyuz MS-05. 

Expedition 54 will continue with 3 crew members, Commander Alexander Misurkin, Mark Vande Hei and Joe Acaba, until this Sunday when the next crew arrives: Anton Shkaplerov (Roscosmos), Scott Tingle (NASA) and Norishige Kanai (JAXA).

Discovery (STS-120) launched 2007

L-R: Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, Zamka, Melroy, Tani, Nespoli

Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-120) took off October 23, 2007, being the 23rd mission to the International Space Station.  Commander Pamela Melroy was the second woman after Eileen Collins to become commander of a space shuttle mission.  When they docked with the ISS, Peggy Whitson was commander of the space station so for the first time, there were two female mission commanders in space.

The rest of the crew consisted of Pilot George Zamka, Mission Specialist 1 Douglas Wheelock, Mission Specialist 2 Stephanie Wilson, Mission Specialist 3, Scott Parazynski, Mission Specialist 4 Paolo Nespoli (on the ISS right now!), and Mission Specialist 5 Daniel Tani.

Soyuz MS-06 fixin' to blast off this afternoon!

Soyuz MS-06 crew: Joe Acaba, Alexander Misurkin, Mark Vande Hei

This afternoon about 5:17pm EDT, the next crew of the International Space Station will blast off aboard Soyuz MS-06 from Baikonur in Kazakhstan and dock with the ISS approximately 6 hours later.  The crew consists of Lt. Col. Mark Vande Hei (Falls Church, VA; first flight), Joseph Acaba (first Puerto Rican astronaut; third flight) and cosmonaut/commander Alexander Misurkin (Yershichi, Smolensk Oblast, Russia; second flight)

They will join Randy Bresnik, Paolo Nespoli and Sergey Ryanzanski already on the ISS since July 28.  The new crew will continue experiments in biology, physical science and Earth science.

What?  No chemistry?

Just 10 days ago, Peggy Whitson, Jack Fisher and Fyodor Yurchikhin returned to Earth from the ISS, splatting down near Dzhezkagan in Kazakhstan.

Bresnik and Nespoli set up the MARES machine on ISS

The MARES on the ISS (not Randy Bresnik, though)

August 7, astronauts Randy Bresnik and Paolo Nespoli set up the Muscle Atrophy Research and Exercise System (MARES) on the International Space Station.  It will be used for research on musculoskeletal, biomechanical and neuromuscular human physiology to understand the effects of microgravity on human muscular system.  Perhaps it can discover ways to prevent muscular atrophy, which can occur in space.


See the time-lapse video of Bresnik and Nespoli assembling the MARES machine on the ISS.

pic.twitter.com/i3ETKTycxj

Soyuz MS-05 has reached the International Space Station

In 6 hours, Soyuz MS-05 launched and then docked with the International Space Station!  That's a typical day's commute in the DC area.  Paolo Nespoli, Randy Bresnik and Sergey Ryazabsky have joined the three current residents on the ISS, Peggy Whitson, Jack Fischer and Fyodor Yurchikhin, who are scheduled to remain aboard until September.  The new arrivals will spend 5 months on the ISS conducting many scientific experiments.

One such experiment is a study developed by the Michael J. Fox Foundation of the pathology of Parkinson's disease to aid in the development of therapies for patients.

Soyuz MS-05 is fixin’ to blast off tomorrow

Soyuz MS-05 crew (L-R): Paolo Nespoli, Sergey Ryazansky, Randy Bresnik

The 134^th flight of the Soyuz program will launch tomorrow (July 28, 2017) from Baikonur, Kazakhstan 10:30am-ish for us in the Baltimore Daylight Time Zone. This will be Expedition 52 to the International Space Station.  Its crew consists of Commander Sergey Ryazansky (Russian), Flight Engineer Paolo Nespoli (Italian) and Flight Engineer Randy Bresnik (Kentuckian).  They will spend five months living, working and conducting scientific experiments. 

Nespoli has been to the ISS twice before already.  He flew on the Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-120) back in 2007 and went back in December 2010 – May 2011 as part of the Soyuz TMA-20.

Ryazansky flew on Soyuz TMA-10M to the ISS (Expedition 37) and stayed from September 2013 March 2014.  It was his first spaceflight.

Bresnik (a Virgo like me) traveled on the Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-129) in November 2009.  He only spent 11 days on the ISS, but performed 2 EVAs and had a baby while in orbit. Like Ryazansky, he’s been to the ISS once and it was his first spaceflight.

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/International_Space_Station/Vita_mission_live