Rocket "Soyuz"

On Tuesday, a rocket "Soyuz" with three crew members on board was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and headed to the International Space Station. The crew of the "Union" will join three other astronauts are already in orbit. All six astronauts entered the crew of "Expedition 27" - 27th a long mission, which will last six months, starting from March 16. On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the first manned flight into space, Yuri Gagarin committed on April 12, and after completion of the flight of the shuttle program the United States suggest that you look at the pictures of the past, the 26th, the mission and the training process, which took place on the ground as in the United States and at Baikonur. During the flight, the crew conducted dozens of experiments, the station was attached a new module, and a shuttle «Discovery» visited the station for the last time. Expedition 26 launched in November last year. It was headed by Commander Scott Kelly, son kongressmenshi Gabriel Giffords, who was seriously injured during an assassination attempt in January.




Rocket booster "Soyuz-FG" "Soyuz TMA-21" with a new crew launched to the International Space Station (ISS) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on April 5. On Russian spacecraft to the station astronaut Ron Garan fly and Russian cosmonauts Alexander Samokutyaev and Andrei Borisenko. (AP Photo / Dmitry Lovetsky)

Another crew, flying to the ISS: (left to right) Ron Garan American astronaut, Russian cosmonauts Alexander Samokutyaev and Andrei Borisenko before the last exercise in the model of "Soyuz TMA" in Star City on March 5. (Dmitry Kostyukov / AFP / Getty Images)



Preparing to launch "Soyuz TMA-21" in the assembly shop Baikonur Cosmodrome on April 1st. The rocket - portretpervogo Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. (AP Photo / Dmitry Lovetsky)



Layout of the International Space Station in the pool training center for Russian cosmonauts in Star City on 18 February. (AP Photo / Sergey Ponomarev)



Trainees in space suits in training divers in the Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City on 18 February. (AP Photo / Sergey Ponomarev)



Russian cosmonaut Alexander Samokutyaev centrifuges in the cockpit during flight training in Star City. (Reuters / Sergei Remezov)



General view of the centrifuges used to train astronauts. (Reuters / Sergei Remezov)



One of the crew members - American Ron Garan - before the final pre-flight test of a model of "Soyuz TMA" in Star City. (Dmitry Kostyukov / AFP / Getty Images)



ISS over the Earth. The photo is made a member of the crew of shuttle «Discovery» after removal of the shuttle to the station on March 7. (AP Photo / NASA)



Spacecraft "Soyuz TMA-19" is removed from the ISS 25 November 2010. On board a crew of three - NASA astronaut Doug Wheelock (captain), NASA astronaut Shannon Walker and Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin (both flight engineers). Jurchihin steer the ship at the time of decoupling module "Dawn" at 8:23. (NASA)



European Space Agency astronaut and Expedition 26 Engineer Paolo Nespoli in the ISS Dome on January 2. (NASA)



Expedition 26 crew member used the effect of "fish-eye" to make the picture on the ISS Dome. (NASA)



Clouds frame the horizon at sunrise over the Caribbean. Picture taken from the ISS on 19 December. (NASA)



Part of the ISS in the night Chicago on February 12. (NASA)



European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli in the process of working with the module light beam microscope in a laboratory «Destiny» ISS March 1st. (NASA)



Shuttle «Discovery» on the background of the Earth is approaching the ISS for docking February 26th. (Reuters / NASA)



Lightning Ridge in the cloud over the town in South America. (NASA)



Astronaut Paolo Nespoli and NASA astronaut Catherine Coleman control system Canadarm2 to the ISS Dome to move the Japanese transport apparatus «Kounotori2 H-II» from the lowest point of the node in the zenith port on 18 February. (NASA)



The nose and the lower part of the shuttle «Discovery» during the inspection apparatus approaching STS-133 before docking with the ISS on February 26. (NASA)



NASA astronaut Cady Coleman opens the container with dexterous humanoid Robonaut 2-assistant in the laboratory «Destiny» to the ISS on March 15. (NASA)



Astronaut Scott Kelly (commander of Expedition 26) with a robot helper Robonaut 2 to the ISS. (AP Photo / NASA)



ISS after undocking from the space shuttle «Discovery» on March 7. (NASA)



Astronaut Paolo Nespoli tying shoelaces in weightlessness before using the machine aRED to the ISS on January 13. (NASA)



Night Montreal from the height of the International Space Station on Christmas Eve on 24 December. At the time, as this picture was taken, the ISS was located over the border of Pennsylvania and New York. (NASA)



Astronaut Alvin Drew in the gateway "Quest" to the ISS before starting work in the open space on February 28. (NASA via Getty Images)



NASA astronauts Steve Bowen and Alvin Drew practically invisible against the background of this wreath designs during the first spacewalk on ISS February 28th. During the 6-hour work Bowen and Drew installed power extension cable, removed the failed ammonia pump to later return it to Earth, set the camera on the right farm, extended mobile conveyor rails and conducted an experiment "message in a bottle." (NASA)



Expedition 26 crew member took this picture rocket «Ariane 5", barely visible in the distance, after starting from the spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Johannes Kepler rocket went into orbit and successfully docked with the ISS. The ship was flying eight days to dock with the space station, and arrived on 24 February, fuel, air and cargo weighing 7000 kg. (NASA)



The members of the Expedition 26 watching the actions of the Kennedy Space Center on the ISS for the launch of space shuttle «Discovery». From left to right: Russian cosmonauts Alexander Kaleri and Oleg Skripochka (both engineers), NASA astronaut Scott Kelly (commander), Russian cosmonaut Dmitry Kondratyev and European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli (both flight engineers). (NASA)



Night of Seoul from the height of the International Space Station on Dec. 23. (NASA)



Russian capsule "Soyuz" with cosmonauts Oleg Skripochka and Alexander Kareli and American Scott Kelly landed on a snow-covered field near the town of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, March 16. The astronauts successfully landed in the snowy steppes of central Kazakhstan after five months on the ISS. (AP Photo / Dmitry Kostyukov)



Russian cosmonauts Oleg Skripochka (right) and Alexander Kareli (center) and US astronaut Scott Kelly in "Soyuz TMA-01M" shortly after landing near the town of Arkalyk. (AP Photo / Sergei Remezov)



Russian support staff helps members of the crew "Soyuz TMA-01M" to get out of the capsule shortly after landing. (NASA / Bill Ingalls)



Expedition 26 Commander Scott Kelly on the Russian helicopter before spsatelnom 2-hour flight to Kostanay, Kazakhstan, March 16. On hand at Kelley Blue bracelet with peace symbol, heart and the word "Gabby" - diminutive name of the bride, kongressmenshi Gabriel Giffords, wounded in a failed assassination attempt. (NASA / Bill Ingalls)



Russian police in front of the spacecraft "Soyuz TMA-21", which are transported to the launch platform Baikonur Cosmodrome on April 2nd. ISS crew - astronaut Ronald Garan and his Russian counterpart Alexander Samokutyaev Andrei Borisenko and went to the ISS on this ship on April 5. (Reuters / Shamil Zhumatov)



Photo multiple exposure, which service tower rising spacecraft "Soyuz TMA-21", which will take on a new ISS crew. (AP Photo / Dmitry Lovetsky)



Orthodox priest blesses the astronauts' Soyuz TMA-21 "before the flight to the ISS on April 3. (AP Photo / Dmitry Lovetsky)



Work examines the "Soyuz TMA-21" on the starting platform before the start of the Baikonur Cosmodrome on April 5. (ALEXANDER NEMENOV / AFP / Getty Images)



Carrier rocket "Soyuz-FG" with "Soyuz TMA-21" is heading to the International Space Station with a new crew of three on April 5. (AP Photo / Dmitry Lovetsky)