Expedition 34/35 hatch opening

Uploaded on December 21, 2012

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Expedition 34/35 hatch opening

The crew will live and work on the International Space Station for five months and Hadfield will become the first Canadian commander of the ISS during the second half of his mission in March 2013. (Credits: Canadian Space Agency, NASA)

Male Speaker:  Good day once again from the Russian Mission Control Centre in Korolyov, Russia, outside of Moscow, where at this hour on both sides of a docking interface 255 statute miles above the Earth, six crew members are preparing to open hatches to greet one another and restore the International Space Station to a full six-man capability.

A little over two hours after the docking of the Soyuz TMA-07M spacecraft to the Rassvet module on the Earth-facing port of the Russian segment of the International Space Station, leak checks are just about complete on both sides of the docking interface and on the Soyuz TMA-07M side of that docking interface, Roman Romanenko, the Soyuz Commander, Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Chris Hadfield and NASA Flight Engineer Tom Marshburn are preparing to open the hatch on their side of the docking vestibule, as it were.  And on the station side, Kevin Ford, the Expedition 34 Commander, along with his Russian crew mates Oleg Novitskiy and Evgeny Tarelkin will be doing the same on the Rassvet module side and the six crew members soon will be united for the first time for several months of joint operations that will lead to the landing of Ford, Novitskiy and Tarelkin in mid-March of next year and the continuation of Expedition 34 as it segues into Expedition 35 under the command of Chris Hadfield, the first time a Canadian will have commanded the International Space Station.

There’s a good look at the Soyuz TMA-07M, which flawlessly docked to the Rassvet module at 8:09 a.m. Central Time, 6:09 p.m. Moscow time after a two-day trek from the launchpad of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

And the hatch is open.  Tom Marshburn floating in for his second visit to the International Space Station.

Chris Hadfield is to become the first Canadian Commander of the International Space Station, returning after 11 ½ years.

And the Soyuz Commander Roman Romanenko.  All three crew members on the Soyuz now aboard the International Space Station that has returned to a six-man crew capability.

Evan Hadfield: Hi, Dad.  This is Evan.

Chris Hadfield: Hello, Evan.  How are you doing?  How’d you like the launch?

Evan Hadfield:  Good.  It was great.  It was loud and powerful, and we were quite close.  It was really nice.  Your face looks a bit puffed up.  Have you been smiling a lot?

Chris Hadfield: Yeah, I heard it was – yeah, we’ve been smiling a lot.  The ride up, you know, I heard it was a really pretty launch just because the air was so clear, but it was just a heck of a ride for the three of us.  It’s just – it’s like being on a – on a crazy dragster, just a fun zip up to space and then we spent a good time the last couple of days relaxing, getting used to it, readapting to being in space.  And the reason our faces are puffed up is, yeah, we’ve been smiling a lot.

Evan Hadfield:  I’ve been requested to ask that the first chance you get, you do a front flip.  So at your convenience.

Kristin Hadfield: Hey, Dad, this is Kristin.

Chris Hadfield: Hello, Princess.  How are you?

Kristin Hadfield: I’m good.  How are you?

Chris Hadfield: I’m doing really well, actually.  We’re having – we’re having a lot of fun.  It’s – it’s been like – like opening – going up into an attic, opening up a treasure that you’d forgotten about.  It’s wonderful to be up here again, and looking around the station, I really love what they’ve done with the place.  It’s beautiful.

Kristin Hadfield: (Laughs.)  Here, I’m going to pass you off to Kyle.  Bye, Dad.

Chris Hadfield: Bye.

Kyle Hadfield: Hello, it’s Kyle.

Chris Hadfield: Hey, Kyle, how did you like going back to Star City again?  Did you remember anything? 

Kyle Hadfield:   Well, I slept through the tour, but I want to say that you look like a happy little boy up there.

Chris Hadfield: Yeah, there’s a good reason for that.  Who wouldn’t be happy?  I mean we just – we just rode a spaceship, what, I guess about 30 times around the Earth, and now we’re on the Space Station.  It’s just magic.  Our little – fearless little spaceship come and joining this huge place up in orbit and three people up here.  It sure makes me happy.  It would make anybody happy.

Kyle Hadfield:   Before I go, I have one question for you.  Is that okay?

Chris Hadfield: Yeah, go ahead.

Kyle Hadfield: Can I have a pony? (Laughter.) 

Chris Hadfield: Well, Christmas is coming, so the beautiful answer that I’ve been able to use for quite a while is ask your mother.

Female Speaker: Hi.  This is Kata (ph).

Chris Hadfield: Hello, Kata.  I’m glad you’re there too.  I hope you enjoyed the show and had a little look around Moscow and Star City.

Female Speaker:  I did.  I just wanted to wish you a great time.  I will wave to you from down below when you pass by.

Chris Hadfield: That’s great.  I’ll be – I’ll be waving as I go overhead to all the places you guys go.  And the beauty of our family is I get to keep waving all around the world, and somebody will be somewhere, so I’ll be waving. 

Drew: Hi, Chris.  Drew here.  Real quick, just wanted to wish you the best couple months of your life.  It’s been an absolute pleasure being here for the launch, seeing you happier than I think I’ve ever seen you, actually.  So it’s – it’s been a pleasure.  Hope it’s great.

Chris Hadfield: Thanks, Drew.  I’m glad – really glad that we all got to be together in Baïkonur, that you guys got to all see the launch together and that – you know, that this – everything cooperated to make all this work on time.  It’s just – just great.

Female Speaker: Hey, Hannah (ph) Swyna (ph). 

Chris Hadfield: Hello, beautiful.  How are you doing?

Female Speaker:  I am doing great.  You gave us the best launch.  And thank you, Roman, for the wonderful docking.  We appreciate it.

Chris Hadfield: Thanks.  We – Tom and I were just sitting there.  We both had a window seat while Roman was doing all the work and watching the sparks fly on the outside from the thrusters and just it was like a little bird coming into a huge nest with the wings of the Space Station on either side of us.  It’s just – just gorgeous.  Roman did wonderful work.

Female Speaker: Well, tell him I had the biggest smile, and I’m sure yours was too.  Anyway, we – we love you lots and thank you very much.  Have fun.

Chris Hadfield: We’ll do our best to have fun.  We’ll be – I’ll be in touch with you pretty soon as well.  I’m glad everybody’s there.  Please tell everybody I didn’t talk to, tell them hello.

Female Speaker: (Translating from Russian.)  Mission Control congratulates you again on your arrival onboard of the ISS.  Your mood and your attitude is the most important thing.  That gives us confidence that you will be successful in accomplishing all your goals in space.  And you’ve been a great crew.  Again, we wish you success in your endeavours, and we will talk to you next time. 

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