The Soyuz TMA-16 launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009 carrying Expedition 21 Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams, Flight Engineer Maxim Suraev and Spaceflight Participant Guy Laliberté to the International Space Station.
PS. what you’re looking at is the future of NASA’s manned spaceflight. there’s a multi-year gap between the decommissioning of its space-shuttle fleet in 2012 and the introduction of the “next generation” launch vehicle. the “new” vehicle will mostly resuscitate Apollo-era technology, a la Russia’s Soyuz. for an unknown number of years, NASA won’t be able to reach a space station it’s spent $100,000,000,000 and 25 years building.
complicating matters, NASA will need a waiver every time it purchases rocket-related goods and services from the Russian space program because of their perceived assistance to Iranian weapon programs.
also, did you know NASA has its own Flickr page?
