Astrolab launched with Space Shuttle Discovery

ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter is the first European astronaut to undertake a long-duration mission to the International Space Station (ISS). He launched into space with the STS-121 Discovery mission on 4 July 2006.

Shortly after arrival Reiter became a member of the Expedition 13 crew. In September the crew rotation took place and Reiter joined Expedition 14.

The Astrolab Mission lasted five and a half months, concluding when Thomas Reiter returned to Earth with Shuttle mission STS-116, landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, in Florida, on 22 December 2006.

Astrolab back-up astronaut:
Leopold Eyharts (ESA)

CREW STS-121

• Commander Steve Lindsey (NASA)
• Pilot Mark Kelly (NASA)
• Mission Specialist Mike Fossum (NASA)
• Mission Specialist Lisa Nowak (NASA)
• Mission Specialist Stephanie Wilson (NASA)
• Mission Specialist Piers Sellers (NASA)
• Mission Specialist Thomas Reiter (ESA)

LAUNCH STS-121

Launch date:
4 July 2006, 20:38 CEST (18:38 UT)
Two earlier launch attempts on 1 and 2 July were scrubbed due to weather conditions.
Launch site:
Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida
Launch vehicle:
Space Shuttle Discovery

ARRIVAL AT ISS

Docking with ISS:
6 July 2006, 16:52 CEST (14:52 UT)
Hatch opening and ingress:
6 July 2006, 18:52 CEST (16:52 UT)

RETURN STS-121 *
(Thomas Reiter remains on board ISS)

* Third EVA scheduled for Flight Day 9 (Wednesday 12 July) - STS-121 mission extended by one day.

Hatch closure:
15 July 2006, 08:15 CEST (06:15 UT)
Undocking:
15 July 2006, 10:08 CEST (08:08 UT)
Landing:
17 July 2006, 15:14 CEST (13:14 UT) at KSC, Florida

ON BOARD ISS

Expedition 13 crew
• Commander Pavel Vinogradov (Russia)
• Flight Engineer 1 Jeff Williams (NASA)
• From the moment his Soyuz seatliner is transferred to the Soyuz TMA-8 vehicle (took place shortly after arrival on 6 July 2006), Thomas Reiter joined Expedition 13 crew as Flight Engineer 2.

On 20 September 2006 the next Expedition crew arrived at the Station on board the Soyuz TMA-9 vehicle - shortly after their arrival Thomas Reiter became a member of the Expedition 14 crew.

After the crew exchange, Vinogradov and Williams returned to Earth with the Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft together with spaceflight participant Anousheh Ansari. Thomas Reiter remained on board the Station as Flight Engineer 2 for the Expedition 14 crew.

Expedition 14 crew
• Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria (NASA)
• Flight Engineer 1 Mikhail Tyurin (Russia)
• Flight Engineer 2 Thomas Reiter (ESA) - until arrival Space Shuttle flight STS-116
• Flight Engineer 2: Sunita Williams (NASA) - after arrival with Space Shuttle flight STS-116

Sunita Williams replaced Thomas Reiter as Expedition 14 Flight Engineer 2 on 11 December 2006 shortly after her arrival with Discovery. At that point Reiter became a member of the STS-116 descent crew.

Back-up crew Expedition 14
• Commander Peggy Whitson (NASA)
• Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko (Russia)
• Flight Engineer Clay Anderson (NASA)

LANDING

Thomas Reiter returned to Earth on board Space Shuttle Discovery with the rest of the STS-116 crew.

Hatch closure:
19 December 2006, 20:42 CET (19:42 UT)
Undocking:
19 December 2006, 23:10 CET (22:10 UT)
Landing:
22 December 2006, 23:32 CEST (22:32 UT) at KSC, Florida