Soyuz TM-31 was the first Soyuz spaceflight to dock with the International Space Station (ISS). The spacecraft carried the members of Expedition 1, the first long-duration ISS crew. It was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 07:52 UT on October 31, 2000, by a Soyuz-U rocket.

The crew consisted of Russian cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev, and American William Shepherd. Gidzenko was commander of the flight up, but once aboard the station, Shepherd became commander of the long-duration mission Expedition 1. It is notable for beginning the continuous occupation of space from October 31, 2000 to the present.

Crew


References


Soyuz TM29 launch

Soyuz TM31

Spaceflight mission report Soyuz TM31

Patch Soyuz TM31

Soyuz TM31 recovery