science

Soyuz TMA-05M

Soyuz TMA-05M is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Soyuz TMA-05M rather than just read about it. In short: Soyuz TMA-05M was the 114th flight of a Soyuz spacecraft. It was launched on 15 July 2012, transporting three members of the Expedition 32 crew to the International Space Station (ISS).

Key takeaways

Soyuz TMA-05M belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Soyuz TMA-05M to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Soyuz TMA-05M from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Soyuz TMA-05M was the 114th flight of a Soyuz spacecraft. It was launched on 15 July 2012, transporting three members of the Expedition 32 crew to the International Space Station (ISS). The Soyuz remained docked to the ISS throughout the mission to serve as an emergency escape vehicle. The launch also coincided with the 37th anniversary of the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project. Soyuz TMA-05M successfully returned to Earth on 19 November 2012.

Crew

Backup crew

Launch

Soyuz TMA-05M was launched atop of a Soyuz FG rocket at 2:40 GMT on July 15, 2012 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. Following the flawless launch, the Soyuz spacecraft successfully achieved orbital insertion 9 minutes later and began its 34-orbit journey to the Space Station.

Docking

As part of its phasing maneuvers to catch up with the ISS, 3.5 and 4.5 hours into the mission, the Soyuz Spacecraft performed two large SKD Main Propulsion System Burns changing the vehicle's speed by 41.5 m/s and 23.9 m/s, respectively. These burns were followed by a minor maneuver on July 16 for a velocity change of two m/s. The on time automated docking sequence began at 2:31 GMT on July 17, 2012. The Crew activated the KURS Navigation System that provides accurate range and velocity data for the spacecraft's on-board computers. The station crew of Padalka, Revin and Acaba got up early changing their sleep cycles to support the rendezvous and docking operations of the Soyuz. Although the rendezvous and docking sequence is fully automated, cosmonaut Malenchenko and Russian mission controllers in Korolev, Moscow monitored the systems as well. As Soyuz TMA-05M approached the ISS, the spacecraft completed a series of trajectory correction maneuvers. At a range of 8 Kilometers to the space station, the Soyuz activated its TV system needed for automated operation monitoring. At a distance of 300 meters to the space station, Russian flight controllers issued a "GO" for the Flyaround to align Soyuz TMA-05M with the docking port on the Rassvet Module. With the Flyaround completed, a short period of Stationkeeping was initiated at a range of 190 meters. The opportunity gave the flight controllers a chance to check the Soyuz systems and the alignment with the docking port. The crew was given a "GO" and the final approach commenced at 4:40 GMT. Soyuz TMA-05M completed a successful docking at 4:51 GMT while the space station was flying high above North-East Kazakhstan: one minute earlier than planned. Shortly after, the docking probe was retracted and hooks started closing to establish the hard mate. The hard mate was followed by the standard one-hour leak check operations. After leak checks were completed, the crew opened the hatches and floated into the ISS. The arrival of Malenchenko, Williams and Hoshide on board Soyuz TMA-05M restored the space station's crew to full strength at six.

Return to Earth

Soyuz TMA-05M undocked from the ISS on 18 November 2012 at 10:26 PM (GMT), carrying Hoshide, Malenchenko and Williams, and landed safely at 1:53:30 AM (GMT) the following day. A source at Energia told the Novosti news agency that the location was 51°.05 N, 67°.16 E in Kazakhstan, about 4.7 km from the aim point. Confusion during the NASA TV broadcast of the event led to some, including NASA's own Media Services, recording the landing time incorrectly as 01:56. The spacecraft's departure marked the end of Expedition 33 and the start of Expedition 34.

Gallery

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Soyuz TMA-05M

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Soyuz TMA-05M claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Soyuz TMA-05M before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Soyuz TMA-05M ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Soyuz TMA-05M

In research: Soyuz TMA-05M appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Soyuz TMA-05M in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Soyuz TMA-05M is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Crewed Soyuz missions, Human spaceflights to the International Space Station, Spacecraft launched by Soyuz-FG rockets, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Soyuz TMA-05M outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Soyuz TMA-05M in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Soyuz TMA-05M means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Soyuz TMA-05M out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Soyuz TMA-05M in simple terms?

Soyuz TMA-05M was the 114th flight of a Soyuz spacecraft. It was launched on 15 July 2012, transporting three members of the Expedition 32 crew to the International Space Station (ISS).

Why does Soyuz TMA-05M matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Soyuz TMA-05M?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Soyuz TMA-05M.