Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. Space Travel News .




STATION NEWS
ESA astronaut Andre Kuipers returns to Earth
by Staff Writers
Paris, France (ESA) Jul 04, 2012


ESA astronaut Andre Kuipers shortly after returning to Earth on Sunday 1 July 2012. He landed in the steppes of Kazakhstan at 08:14 GMT after 193 days in space. Andre conducted many scientific experiments during his six-month PromISSe mission on the International Space Station. In addition to his scientific workload, Andre carried out maintenance and operational tasks. Highlights included receiving ESA's Automated Transfer Vehicle Edoardo Amaldi cargo ferry and docking the first commercial spacecraft, Dragon. Credits: ESA-S. Corvaja, 2012.

ESA astronaut Andre Kuipers, together with his Russian Commander Oleg Kononenko and NASA astronaut Donald Pettit, has landed safely on the steppes of Kazakhstan at 08:14 GMT (10:14 CEST) in Soyuz TMA-03M.

During his six-month PromISSe mission on the International Space Station, Andre conducted over 50 scientific experiments in the world's only permanent microgravity laboratory.

Now that the orbital outpost is fully assembled, astronauts on the Space Station can devote more time to research.

A medical doctor by training, Andre conducted biophysics experiments that could offer insights into fighting osteoporosis, migraines and immune cell death. He also performed experiments in other domains such as biology or looking at improving computer models of fluids. Some experiments might serve to prepare for further exploration of space.

In addition to his scientific workload, Andre carried out maintenance and operational tasks. Highlights included receiving ESA's Automated Transfer Vehicle Edoardo Amaldi cargo ferry and docking the first commercial spacecraft, Dragon.

Andre has been sharing the privilege of living in space with the world via social media. His photographs, blogs and tweets have been followed closely by millions worldwide bringing spaceflight closer for people on Earth.

The crew will now fly to Houston, Texas, where they will undergo medical checks before meeting the media on Friday 6 July at 13:00 GMT (15:00 CEST).

European media are welcome to follow the event and ask questions via a live video link at ESA's ESTEC science centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. Media can address Andre in English, Dutch and German.

The next ESA astronaut to board the Space Station is Luca Parmitano of Italy, who will fly on Soyuz TMA-09M in 2013 as member of Expedition 36/37.

.


Related Links
ESA
Station at NASA
Station and More at Roscosmos
S.P. Korolev RSC Energia
Watch NASA TV via Space.TV
Space Station News at Space-Travel.Com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








STATION NEWS
First Annual ISS Research and Development Conference in Review
Houston TX (SPX) Jul 03, 2012
Roughly 400 scientists, engineers, students, industry leaders and business representatives gathered last week to participate in the 1st Annual International Space Station Research and Development Conference, organized by the American Astronautical Society and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space Inc., or CASIS, in cooperation with NASA. The event took place June 26-28 in Denv ... read more


STATION NEWS
Avanti Announces Launch Date for HYLAS 2 Satellite

Three Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne RS-68A Engines Power Delta IV Heavy Upgrade Vehicle on Inaugural Flight

ULA Delta IV Heavy Launches Second Payload in Nine Days for the NRO

ATK Completes Software TIM for Liberty under NASA's Commercial Crew Program

STATION NEWS
Fireworks Over Mars: The Spirit of 76 Pyrotechnics

Martian moon Phobos could be life clue

Exhumed rocks reveal Mars water ran deep

Houston Workshop Marks Key Step in Planning Future Mars Missions

STATION NEWS
ESA to catch laser beam from Moon mission

Researchers Estimate Ice Content of Crater at Moon's South Pole

Researchers find evidence of ice content at the moon's south pole

Nanoparticles found in moon glass bubbles explain weird lunar soil behaviour

STATION NEWS
It's a Sim: Out in Deep Space, New Horizons Practices the 2015 Pluto Encounter

Beyond Pluto And Exploring the Kuiper Belt

Uranus auroras glimpsed from Earth

Herschel images extrasolar analogue of the Kuiper Belt

STATION NEWS
New Planet-weighing Technique Found

Innovative technique enables scientists to learn more about elusive exoplanet

Dramatic change spotted on a faraway planet

New Way of Probing Exoplanet Atmospheres

STATION NEWS
Rocketdyne Completes CCDev 2 Hot Fire Testing on Thruster for NASA Commercial Crew Program

Thruster Tests Completed for Boeing's CST-100

Through the atmosphere with sharp edges

NASA Space Launch System Core Stage Moves From Concept to Design

STATION NEWS
China open to cooperation

China set to launch bigger space program

Nation has long way to go as space power

An inspiring mission

STATION NEWS
Explained: Near-miss asteroids

The B612 Foundation Announces The First Privately Funded Deep Space Mission

Ex-NASA astronauts aim to launch asteroid tracker

A Fleeting Flyby Of A Battered World Called Asteroid 21 Lutetia




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement