National Aeronautics and Space Administration

International Space Station

EXPEDITION 39begins March 11, 2014 and ends May 28, 2014. This expedition will include

research projects focusing on human research, biology and biotechnology, 

physical science investigations, technology demonstrations and educational activities. Crew members will even grow plants in space. 

There are no planned spacewalks for Expedition 39.

High definition camera equipment, growing plants in space, and a variety of 

physical science, biology and biotechnology experiments define the research 

of Expedition 39. Other investigations include human research, technology 

demonstrations and educational activities. Expedition 39 activities will continue 

to advance our body of scientific knowledge, provide a platform for Earth and 

astronomical observation, educate and inspire younger generations and prepare 

future crews for deep space exploration beyond low-Earth orbit. 

Born: Saitama, Japan

Interests: Hang-gliding, baseball, tennis, snow skiing, flying

Spaceflights: STS-72; STS-92; STS-119; STS-127; Exps. 

18, 19, 20 

Twitter: @Astro_Wakata

Astronaut Bio: http://iss.jaxa.jp/en/astro/biographies/

wakata/index.html

Koichi Wakata (JAXA) – Flight Commander

(Ko-ICH-ee Wah-KAH-ta)

Soyuz TMA-12M • Launch: March 25, 2014 • Landing: September 2014

THE CREW:

Soyuz TMA-11M • Launch: Nov. 6, 2013 • Landing: May 28, 2014

THE SCIENCE:

"What are 

some of the 

investigations 

that the crew is 

working on?"

[MISSION SUMMARY]

Born: Riga, Latvia

Interests: Physics

Spaceflights: Exps. 39 and 40 mark his first missions

Cosmonaut Bio: http://go.nasa.gov/1iKiITW 

Oleg Artemyev (Roscosmos) – Flight Engineer

(AH’-leg Ar-tuh-MY-ev)

Born: Syracuse, NY.

Interests: Mountain biking, basketball, skiing, weight 

lifting, trail running, woodworking, spending time with 

family

Spaceflights: STS-117; STS-119

Astronaut Bio: http://go.nasa.gov/1bEdIAJ

Instagram: http://instagram.com/iss"

Steve Swanson (NASA) – Flight Engineer

(SWAHN-son)

Born: Schelkovo, Moscow Region, Russia

Interests: Diving, soccer, badminton, fishing, hunting, 

tourism

Spaceflights: Exps. 23, 24

Cosmonaut Bio: http://go.nasa.gov/1ilN4Oh 

Alexander Skvortsov (Roscosmos) – Flight Engineer

(Skuh-VORT-tsoff)

Born: Waterbury, Conn.

Interests: Flying, baseball, basketball, swimming, 

woodworking, spending time with family

Spaceflights: STS-106, STS-118, and STS-131

Twitter: @AstroRM

Astronaut Bio: http://go.nasa.gov/YlLlv5 

Richard Mastracchio (NASA) – Flight Engineer 

(Muh-STRAH-kee-oh)

Born: Kolomna, Russia

Interests: Sailing, mathematics

Spaceflights: STS-105, STS-108; Exps. 3, 14

Cosmonaut Bio: http://go.nasa.gov/w4S298

Mikhail Tyurin (Roscosmos) – Flight Engineer 

(MEEK-hail Tee-YOU-run)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

Houston, Texas 77058

www.nasa.gov

NP-2014-03-002-JSC

International

Space Station

Mission

Summary

n Vegetable Production 

System (Veggie)

Veggie is a plant growth 

facility capable of 

producing salad-type 

crops to provide the crew 

with appetizing, nutritious 

and safe fresh food and 

supporting crew relaxation 

and recreation. The Veggie 

unit provides lighting and 

nutrient delivery, but uses 

the cabin environment 

on the space station for 

temperature control and as a source of carbon dioxide to promote growth. 

This study will emphasize the focus on human habitability in space, since 

growing food in microgravity may improve long-duration spaceflight. 

Veggie can support a variety of studies used to determine how plants 

sense and respond to gravity. Astronauts will harvest the plants for 

further investigation. With continued plant growth studies aboard the 

space station using facilities like Veggie, crews may one day consume 

produce during long-term missions in low-Earth orbit or to an asteroid 

or Mars.

The Veggie unit’s growth volume will be the largest volume available 

to date for plant growth on the space station, which will enable larger 

produce than was previously available, due to size restrictions. This 

improved understanding of plant growth and development in microgravity 

has important implications for improving plant growth and biomass 

production on Earth.

n Advanced Colloids Experiment-Microscopy-2 (ACE-M-2)

ACE-M-2 examines the behavior of liquids and gases near the critical 

point, or the point at which there is no distinct boundary between the 

liquid and gas phases. ACE-M-2 uses a new microscope to record 

micro-scale events on short time scales; previous experiments observed 

Expedition 39 of the International Space Station Program marks the 15th year of operation 

since the start of the space laboratory assembly. Today, the U.S., Russia, Japan, Canada and 

the European Space Agency are partnering in the operation of the largest-ever orbital outpost 

managed by humanity. The names of the six crew members are depicted in their native 

languages. For Expedition 39, the Soyuz spacecraft serves as transport vehicle for the crew 

members to and from the station. During this expedition, the space station will serve as a platform 

for scientific research, Earth and astronomical observation and education, as well as a stage 

for the development of new technologies used for exploring beyond low-Earth orbit. The star 

above the complex signifies human space exploration towards new frontiers. The crew members 

added these words: "The crew of Expedition 39 is proud to serve the international community in 

furthering our scientific knowledge and in expanding human presence in space." 

THE MISSION PATCH:

Outredgeous red romaine lettuce plants grow 

inside a prototype Veggie flight pillow. Veggie 

will help astronauts grow safe, fresh food and 

provide recreational activity while aboard the 

space station. (NASA/Gioia Massa)

large-scale behavior over many weeks. Liquids and gases of the same 

material usually have different densities, so they would behave differently 

under the influence of gravity, making the microgravity environment 

of the International Space Station ideal for these experiments. Particle 

separation and behavior in liquids, gels and creams is important 

for developing consumer and household products on Earth. The 

ACE investigations on the space station provide insight into product 

formulations that could be used to maximize stability and shelf life.

n High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV) 

The HDEV investigation places four commercially available high definition 

cameras on the exterior of the space station for use in streaming 

live video of Earth for online viewing. The cameras are enclosed in a 

temperature-specific case and exposed to the harsh radiation of the 

space environment. Analysis of the effect of space on the video quality 

during the HDEV operational period may help engineers determine the 

best types of commercially available cameras to use on future missions. 

Using available products may be more cost-effective than designing new 

products. High school students helped design some of the cameras' 

components, through the High Schools United with NASA to Create 

Hardware program, and student teams will operate the experiment. 

n MicroRNA Expression Profiles in Cultured Human Fibroblasts in 

Space (Micro-7) 

The majority of cells in the human body are non-dividing cells that provide 

critical functions, from blood cells to cells in different organs. Micro-7 

studies how microgravity affects the genetic expression and physical 

shape of these types of cells for the first time. Understanding how these 

cells function in microgravity is a step toward understanding how organs, 

tissues and the entire body change during spaceflight. Researchers can 

use data from Micro-7 in future Earth-based studies to examine whether 

the cell changes observed during spaceflight are seen in disease states 

of tissues and organs as well. Ultimately, this may help scientists better 

understand disease. This type of research could lead to developing new 

drug treatments.