Soyuz TMA-6 launched 2005

Soyuz TMA-6 crew: Roberto Vittori, Sergei Krikalev, John Phillips

Mission patch

Soyuz TMA-6, launched April 15, 2005, carried members of Expedition 11 to the International Space Station.  Its crew consisted of Commander Sergei Krikalev (Roscosmos), John Phillips (NASA) and Roberto Vittori (ESA).

Vittori returned home on April 24 aboard Soyuz TMA-5.  Krikalev and Phillips retunred home in October 2005 with space tourist Gregory Olsen.

Soyuz TM-33 launched 2001

Soyuz TM-33 crew (L-R): Konstantin Kozeyev, Viktor Afansayev, Claudie Haignere

Mission patch

Soyuz TM-33, launched October 21, 2001, carried a new crew and supplies to the International Space Station.  Its crew consisted of Commander Viktor Afansayev (Roscosmos), Claudie Haignere (ESA) and Konstantin Kozeyev (Roscosmos).  The crew returned to Earth on October 31 on Soyuz TM-32. 

Soyuz TM-33 returned to Earth on May 5, 2002 with Commander Yuri Gidzenko (Roscosmos), Roberto Vittori (ESA) and Mark Shuttleworth, a space tourist from South Africa.

I could not find a video of the launch.

Happy birthday, Italian astronaut Roberto Vittori!

Roberto Vittori, born October 15, 1964 in Viterbo, Lazio, Italy, is an astronaut with the European Space Agency and a veteran of three space flights.

His first mission into space was aboard Soyuz TM-34, launched in April 2002 as flight engineer to the International Space Station.  He returned to Earth about two weeks later on Soyuz TM-33.

His second trip into space was aboard Soyuz TMA-6, launched in April 2005 as flight engineer to the ISS.  He returned to Earth aboard Soyuz TMA-5 later that month.  He became the first European astronaut to visit the ISS twice.

His third flight was aboard Endeavour (STS-134) May-June 2011 as mission specialist to the ISS, the next to last flight of the space shuttle project.  Vittori was the last non-American to fly on a space shuttle.

Endeavour's final launch (STS-134) 2011

STS-134 crew (L-R): Andrew Feustel, Michael Fincke, Mark Kelly, Greg H. Johnson, Greg Chamitoff, Roberto Vittori

Mission patch

Endeavour launched its final mission (STS-134), May 16, 2011.  It was the next to last shuttle flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program.  Originally thought to be the last flight, NASA decided in February 2011 that STS-135 would fly regardless of the funding situation.

Its crew was Commander Mark Kelly, Pilot Greg H. Johnson, Michael Fincke, Roberto Vittori, Andrew Feustel and Gregory Chamitoff.  Four EVAs were completed by three astronauts during the flight.  Drew Feustel, Greg Chamitoff and Michael Fincke spent a total of 28 hours and 44 minutes outside the ISS.

Endeavour landed for the final time June 1.

Soyuz TM-34, with first South African in space, launched 2002

Crew (L-R): Yuri Gidzenko, Mark Shuttleworth, Roberto Vittori

Soyuz TM-34, launched April 25, 2002, was the fourth Soyuz mission to the International Space Station and carried the first South African into space.  Its crew consisted of Commander Yuri Gidzenko (Roscomos) and Roberto Vittori (European Space Agency).  Mark Shuttleworth, a space tourist from South Africa, the first from that country in space, was the second self-funded space tourist.

All three returned home on May 5 on Soyuz TM-33.