ISS Expedition 9
| Mission Insignia
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| Mission Statistics
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| Mission Name: | Expedition 9
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| Call Sign: | Expedition 9
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| Number of Crew: | 2
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| Launch: | April 19, 2004 03:19:00 UTC
Baikonur LC1
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| Apogee: | 396 km
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| Perigee: | 384 km
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| Period: | 92 min
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| Inclination: | 51.6 deg
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| Station visit length: | 185 days, 16 hours, 04 minutes
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| Expedition EVA length: | 15 h 45 min - 4 EVA's
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| Landing: | October 24, 2004 00:35:00 UTC
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| Duration: | 187 days, 21 hours, 16 minutes
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| Number of Orbits: | 2,940
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| Distance Traveled: | ~121,802,083 km
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ISS Mass
at end
of mission: | 187,016 kg
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| Crew Picture
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 Expedition 9 crew portrait (L-R: Edward Fincke-U.S.A. and Gennady Padalka-Russia) |
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| Expedition 9 Crew
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Expedition 9 (2004) is the 9th expedition to the International Space Station.
Crew
(1) number of spaceflights each crew member has completed, including this mission.
Mission Parameters
 Edward M. (Mike) Fincke, Expedition 9 NASA ISS science officer and flight engineer, is pictured near fresh fruit floating freely in the Zvezda Service Module of the International Space Station. (NASA)
Mission Objectives
Padalka and Fincke arrived at the Station on April 21 aboard the ISS Soyuz TMA-4 spacecraft with European Space Agency (ESA) Astronaut André Kuipers. After more than a week of joint operations and handover activities, Padalka and Fincke officially took command of the Station on April 29 when Expedition 8 Commander Michael Foale and Flight Engineer Alexander Kaleri left the Station.
Expedition 8 and Kuipers returned to Earth that same day aboard the ISS Soyuz TMA-3 spacecraft. Kuipers' 11-day mission to the ISS was part of a commercial agreement between ESA and the Federal Space Agency of Russia.
Spacewalks
The Expedition 9 crew has conducted three spacewalks so far during its stay at the International Space Station and is slated to conduct one more during its tour of duty. The four spacewalks are devoted to ISS maintenance and assembly. All four will be based out of the Pirs Docking Compartment and will use Russian Orlan spacesuits.
Before these four extravehicular activities (EVAs), 52 spacewalks had been performed at the ISS, with 27 based out of the Station.
Learn more about the spacewalks required to build the International Space Station.
EVA Cosmonauts and Astronauts and Suit ID
Gennady Padalka (EV1): red stripes
Mike Fincke (EV2): blue stripes
Spacewalk 1
Gennady Padalka, Mike Fincke
Time: 14 minutes, 22 seconds
Start time: 4:56 p.m. CDT (2156 GMT) June 24, 2004
End time: 5:10 p.m. CDT (2210 GMT) June 24, 2004
The spacewalk was cut short due to a pressure problem in Fincke's prime oxygen tank in his spacesuit. Mission managers decided to reschedule the spacewalk for June 30.
Spacewalk 2
Gennady Padalka, Mike Fincke
Time: 5 hours, 40 minutes
Start time: 4:19 p.m. CDT (2119 GMT) June 29, 2004
End time: 9:59 p.m. CDT June 29, 2004 (0259 GMT June 30, 2004)
Padalka and Fincke replaced a Remote Power Controller (RPCM) that failed in late April, causing a loss of power in Control Moment Gyroscope No. 2 (CMG 2). A failed Remote Power Controller Module is responsible for the temporary loss of CMG 2 in April. The gyroscope is one of four that control the ISS' orientation.
Spacewalk 3
Gennady Padalka, Mike Fincke
Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes
Start time: 1:58 a.m. CDT (0658 GMT) Aug. 3, 2004
End time: 6:28 a.m. CDT (1128 GMT) Aug. 3, 2004
In preparation for the arrival of the European Space Agency's Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), Padalka and Fincke removed laser retro reflectors from the Zvezda Service Module assembly compartment and installed three updated laser retro reflectors and one internal videometer target. They installed two antennas.
The spacewalkers removed Kromka Panel No. 2 and installed Kromka Panel No. 3. The Kromka experiment exposes various materials to the space environment. They also replaced another materials science experiment.
Spacewalk 4
Gennady Padalka, Mike Fincke
Time: 5 hours, 20 minutes
Start time: 16:43 UTC, September 3, 2004
End time: 22:04 UTC, September 3, 2004
Expedition 9's fourth scheduled EVA will continue preparing the Station for future assembly operations and the arrival of the ATV. The spacewalkers will replace the Zarya Control Module flow control panel and install four safety tether fairleads on Zarya's handrails.
ATV support operations will include installing equipment for the air-to-air radio link antennas and removing all covers from antennas.
Other tasks include installing a Pressure Control and Exposure Monitor Sensor on Pirs and installing protective components on the brackets of Pirs' ring handrails on EVA Hatch No. 2, time permitting.
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