The International Space Station's (ISS) Expedition 39 begins with the scheduled undocking of Soyuz TMA-10M in March 2014. Three new crew members will arrive shortly thereafter on Soyuz TMA-12M.
Credit: NASAISS Expedition 39 will mark the first time the space station is under command of a Japanese astronaut, JAXA veteran Koichi Wakata. His crewmates, all flight engineers include: cosmonauts Mikhail Tyurin, Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Artemyev, and NASA astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Steven Swanson.
Increment 39 of the International Space Station Program marks the 15th year of operation since the start of the space laboratory's assembly. Today, the U.S., Russia, Japan, Canada and the European Space Agency are partnering in the operation of the largest ever orbital outpost managed by humankind.
The names of the six crew members are depicted in their native languages.
For Expedition 39, the Soyuz spacecraft serves as transport vehicle for the crew members to and from the station. During this expedition, the International Space Station will serve as a platform for scientific research, Earth and astronomical observation, education, as well as a stage for the development of technologies used for the exploration beyond low Earth orbit. The star above the complex signifies human space exploration towards new frontiers.
The crew members added these words: "The crew of Expedition 39 is proud to serve the international community in furthering our scientific knowledge and in expanding human presence in space."