Expedition 40 - 4" - A-B Emblem

Submitted by liem on Tue, 01/13/2015 - 22:29

Expedition 40 was the 40th expedition to the International Space Station. A portion of the Expedition 39 crew transferred to Expedition 40 while the remainder of the crew launched on May 28, 2014 from Baikonour Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Upon achieving orbit approximately nine minutes after launch, Soyuz TMA-13M, delivering the remainder of the crew, began a four-orbit rendezvous with the International Space Station. Soyuz TMA-13M subsequently docked with the Rassvet module of the ISS at 1:44 UTC on May 29. Hatches were opened between the two spacecraft just over two hours later at 3:52 UTC. The expedition ended with the undocking of Soyuz TMA-12M on September 10, 2014. The remainder of Expedition 40's crew joined Expedition 41.

The Expedition 40 patch depicts the past, present, and future of human space exploration. The crew wrote the description that follows: The reliable and proven Soyuz, our ride to the International Space Station (ISS), is a part of the past, present, and future. The ISS is the culmination of an enormous effort by many countries partnering to produce a first-class orbiting laboratory, and its image represents the current state of space exploration. The ISS is immensely significant to us as our home away from home and our oasis in the sky. The commercial cargo vehicle is also part of the current human space exploration and is a link to the future. A blend of legacy and future technologies is being used to create the next spacecrafts which will carry humans from our planet to destinations beyond. The sun on Earth's horizon represents the new achievements and technologies that will come about due to our continued effort in space exploration.