As part of the return to Earth of the Russian Soyuz MS-19 mission, scheduled for this Wednesday (30), the crew of the International Space Station (ISS) held a “change of command” ceremony signaling that despite the tension between Russia and the West on the ground, in space the spirit of international cooperation continues.
Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov, one of those returning to our planet, handed over the “key” to the station to his American colleague Thomas Marshburn, who will remain in orbit until the end of April. During the ceremony, Shkaplerov said that “in orbit we are one crew. The ISS is a symbol of friendship, a symbol of the future of space exploration.
Russian cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov and American Mark Vande Hei are also returning to Earth aboard Soyuz MS-19, which will have completed 355 continuous days in orbit around our planet, surpassing the mark of the previous record holder, the north-east in 15 days. American Scott Kelly. .
During his stay, Vande Hei participated in several studies related to the behavior of the human body in space, such as an assessment of the changes caused by microgravity or the benefits of an “enriched” diet to adapt to space. It also enabled the cultivation and evaluation of vegetables produced in the Vegetable Production System (or “Veggie”), an experimental “vegetable garden” on board the station.
The next crew to arrive on the ISS will be Crew-4, serving NASA, made up of Americans Jessica Watkins, Kjell Lindgren and Robert Hines, and Italian Samantha Cristoforetti. Liftoff is scheduled for April 19 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida.
But first, the ISS will be visited by the first fully private crew, part of Axiom Space’s AX-1 mission. With liftoff scheduled for next Wednesday (6), also from KSC, it will be commanded by Michael López-Alegría, a former NASA astronaut, on his fifth trip to space.
The other crew will be Larry Connor, as pilot, and mission specialists Larry Connor and Eytan Stibbe. They will spend eight days in orbit, during which they will perform various medical and scientific experiments.
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Playmobil – Space Reconnaissance Vehicle – 9489, 26 x 17 x 18 cm, Colored
With the Mars Exploration Vehicle, the astronaut is on his way to find out more about this fascinating planet. Suddenly, he sees unknown blue rocks lying in front of him on the ground. The astronaut stops the exploration vehicle, opens the hatch and descends. Suitable for children over 6 years old. With equipment for studying the surface of Mars, arm with interchangeable tools and light and sound module. Dimensions: 26 x 17 x 18 cm (W x D x H). Join our team of astronauts, technicians and robots!