WIKIARCHIVES.SPACE

A Soyuz spacecraft approaches the Pirs docking compartment on the International Space Station (ISS) carrying the Soyuz 5 taxi crew, Commander Sergei Zalyotin, Belgian Flight Engineer Frank DeWinne, and Flight Engineer Yuri V. Lonchakov for an eight-day stay on the station. The new Soyuz TMA-1 vehicle was designed to accommodate larger or smaller crewmembers, and is equipped with upgraded computers, a new cockpit control panel and improved avionics. Zalyotin and Lonchakov represent Rosaviakosmos and DeWinne represents the European Space Agency (ESA). A cloud-covered Earth provides the backdrop for the scene.