# Space station will have six member crew **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 15, 2009, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-station-will-have-six-member-crew/489477 "2009-03-15T01:08:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-station-will-have-six-member-crew/489477/1 "2009-03-15T01:08:10Z")
The space station will have a [six member crew](http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aQxSYzfrJBs0&refer=home) in May. Are there two Soyuz capsules docked there serving as life boats? ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-station-will-have-six-member-crew/489477/2 "2009-03-15T03:17:41Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > The space station will have a [six member crew](http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aQxSYzfrJBs0&refer=home) in May. Are there two Soyuz capsules docked there serving as life boats? I would presume there would have to be, unless the three newbies are arriving via shuttle. Presumably, the new crew members will arrive via a Soyuz capsule, resulting in two such capsules being docked during the duration of their stay. ---
**Author:** ![Santos\_L\_Halper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/santos_l_halper/32/1_2.png) [@Santos\_L\_Halper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santos_L_Halper)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-station-will-have-six-member-crew/489477/3 "2009-03-15T03:29:52Z")
Currently there’s only one Soyuz docked with the ISS - Soyuz TMA-13. The full time crew is going to increase to six with Expedition 20, being sent up on Soyuz TMA-14 (to be launched later this month) and TMA-15 (to be launched in May). ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-station-will-have-six-member-crew/489477/4 "2009-03-15T03:47:10Z")
So TMA-14 or TMA-15 will remain docked as a life boat? ---
**Author:** ![Santos\_L\_Halper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/santos_l_halper/32/1_2.png) [@Santos\_L\_Halper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santos_L_Halper)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-station-will-have-six-member-crew/489477/5 "2009-03-15T04:39:36Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > So TMA-14 or TMA-15 will remain docked as a life boat? They both will. TMA-13 (which was launched last October) will be returning in April carrying Expedition 18 crewmembers Yuri Lonchakov and Michael Fincke as well as space tourist Charles Simonyi (who will be going up on Soyuz TMA-14). The Soyuz can only remain in space for six months so they have to swap them out with each mission - fly up in a new capsule and return in the older one. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-station-will-have-six-member-crew/489477/6 "2009-03-15T05:00:09Z")
Thanks.