Soyuz Tma-12 With South Korean Astronaut, New Iss Expedition Enter Orbit

BAIKONUR. April 8 (Interfax-AVN) – The Soyuz TMA-12 space vehicle entered Earth orbit, carrying the first South Korean astronaut Yi So- yeon and the 17 expedition to the International Space Station (ISS) consisting of Russian astronauts Sergei Volkov and Oleg Kononenko.

“The Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft entered orbit,” a representative of the Russian rocket and space corporation Energia said.

The spacecraft has to fly two more days to reach the ISS. It is expected to dock to the ISS on April 10. Several days after the arrival Volkov will replace NASA astronaut Peggy Witson, the first ISS female commander, in ‘office,’ while Kononenko will replace engineer Yury Malenchenko.

Witson and Malenchenko have been aboard the ISS for about six months. They will return back to Earth together with Yi So-yeon aboard the Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft on April 19. The third ISS crewmember Garrett Reisman will remain on the ISS until June and will return home aboard the NASA shuttle Discovery.

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