Soyuz TM-34
(Soyuz Taxi 4)
(Marco Polo)

Crew:
    Upload:
        Yuri Gidzenko [3], Commander
        Roberto Vittori [1], Flight Engineer (Italy)
        Mark Shuttleworth [1], Flight Participant (South Africa)
    Download:
        Sergy Zalyotin (Soyuz TMA-1)
        Frank De Winne (Soyuz TMA-1)
        Yuri Lonchakov (Soyuz TMA-1)

Backup Crew:
    Gennadi Padalka
     (for Gidzenko)
    Oleg Kononenko
     (for Vittori)

Launch:
    Location: Baikonur, Site 1/5
    Date: 25 April 2002
    Time: 06:26:35 UTC

Landing:
    Date: 10 November 2002
    Time: 00:04:20 UTC
    Location: 50° 59' N, 67° 35' E

Docking:
    Zarya nadir, 27 May 2002 07:55 UTC - 9 November 2002 20:44 UTC

Duration: 198 days, 17 hours, 37 minutes, 45 seconds

Upload Call Sign: Uran (Uranus)
Download Call Sign: Yenisey

Mark Shuttleworth was the first African into space. He performed three South African sponsored experiments during the trip. Since he paid approximately $20 million (US) for the trip, he is classified as the second space tourist. The SA sponsored experiments and enthusiastic South African support made him somewhat more than "just a tourist".

Soyuz TM-34 was the replacement for Soyuz TM-33.  The Soyuz is used as a lifeboat for the ISS. Because of fuel degradation, the Soyuz needs to be replaced every six months. The upload crew returned in Soyuz TM-33 after a 8 day stay aboard the ISS.

Crew

Page last modified: 20 June 2022 16:58:53.