National Aeronautics and Space Administration

International Space Station

MISSION SUMMARY

EXPEDITION 34begins Nov. 18, 2012 and will end March 15, 2013. This 

next expedition aboard the International Space Station 

will be exciting, as astronauts work with new experiments. These include the Facility for Absorption and Surface 

Tension (FASTER) investigation, provided by the European Space Agency, which will study how surfactants 

(surface acting agents that reduce the surface tension of water, such as soap) are affected by microgravity. 

Additionally, a Canadian Space Agency investigation called Microflow1 will be the first demonstration in space of a 

miniaturized flow cytometer that will to allow doctors and scientists to quantify molecules and cells in blood. 

• Born: Portland, Ind., considers Montpelier, Ind., home

• Interests: Football (favorite team is Notre Dame)

• Spaceflights: STS-128, Exp. 33/34

Kevin Ford – Commander (NASA)

• Born: Schelkovo, Moscow Region, Russia

• Interests: Underwater hunting and tennis 

• Spaceflights: Exps. 20/21 and 34/35 

Roman Romanenko – Flight Engineer (Roscosmos)

(rO-man ro-man-Yenk-o) 

• Born: Statesville, N.C.

• Interests: Swimming, scuba diving and snowboarding

• Spaceflights: STS-127, Exp. 34/35

• Twitter: @AstroMarshburn

Tom Marshburn – Flight Engineer (NASA) 

• Born: Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, raised in Milton, 

Ontario, Canada

• Interests: Skiing, playing guitar, singing, running, 

volleyball, squash, writing and riding 

• Spaceflights: STS-74, STS-100, Exp. 34/35

• Twitter: @Cmdr_Hadfield

Chris Hadfield – Flight Engineer (CSA)

• Born: Belarus, Russia

• Interests: Football, hunting, fishing and reading

• Spaceflights: Exp. 33/34 will be his first mission

Oleg Novitsky – Flight Engineer (Roscosmos) 

(OH-leg NO-vit-skee)

• Born: Pervomaisky, Russia

• Interests: Skydiving 

• Spaceflights: Exp. 33/34 will be his first mission

Evgeny Tarelkin – Flight Engineer (Roscosmos)

(ev-GEN-nee tuh-REL-ken)

Soyuz TMA-07M • Launch: Dec. 19, 2012 • Landing: May 14, 2013

THE CREW:

Soyuz TMA-06M • Launch: Oct. 23, 2012 • Landing: March 15, 2013

Expedition 34 will continue to take advantage of the space station's unique microgravity environment and expand the scope of 

research. The crew will look into the cardiovascular system by performing experiments that cover human research, biological and 

physical sciences, technology development and Earth observations. The crew also will engage in educational activities. 

THE SCIENCE: What’s the crew working on?
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

Houston, Texas 77058

www.nasa.gov

NP-2012-11-032-JSC

International

Space Station

Mission

Summary

n Medaka Osteoclast (Medaka_Osteoclast) (JAXA)

Living organisms, including astronauts, lose bone mineral 

density during long duration spaceflight. Increased activity of 

osteoclasts, a bone cell that is responsible for resorption or 

breakdown of bone, is thought to cause the decrease of bone 

mineral density during spaceflight. This experiment will study the 

effects of microgravity on osteoclast activity and the gravitysensing system of fish. 

n Sun Monitoring on the External Payload Facility of Columbus 

- SOLar Auto-Calibrating EUV/UV Spectrophotometers (SolarSOLACES) (ESA) 

Solar-SOLACES measures the extreme-ultraviolet/ultraviolet 

(EUV/UV) solar spectrum with moderate spectral resolution from 

the sun. The data from SOLACES will be used to investigate 

the impact of changes in the sun’s electromagnetic radiation 

on Earth’s climate, as well as improve understanding of the 

interaction between the thermosphere and ionosphere. 

n Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from 

Colloidal Emulsions - 3 (InSPACE-3) (NASA) 

InSPACE-3 obtains data on fluids containing ellipsoidshaped particles that change the physical properties of the 

fluids in response to magnetic fields. These fluids are called 

magnetorheological suspensions and are classified as smart 

materials that transition to a solid-like state by the formation 

and cross-linking of microstructures in the presence of a 

The Aquatic Habitat aboard the station that is home to the Medaka 

fish.

magnetic field. On Earth, these materials are used for vibration 

damping systems that can be turned on or off. This technology 

has promise to improve the ability to design structures, such as 

bridges and buildings, to better withstand earthquake forces.

n Perspective Reversible Figures in Microgravity (Reversible_

Figures) (ESA) 

Reversible_Figures investigates whether the perception of 

ambiguous perspective-reversible figures (such as an optical 

illusion that can normally be seen to change in perspective or 

orientation) is affected by microgravity. It is thought that the 

adaptive changes in the processing of gravitational information 

by the neurovestibular system during spaceflight may cause 

changes in 3-D visual perception. This could have important 

consequences on the performance of astronauts, including 

impaired psycho-motor ability on sensory-motor tasks (such 

as operation of robotic arm), spatial orientation and navigation. 

Understanding whether or not the perception of ambiguous 

figures is affected by microgravity may be useful for specific 

tasks executed by humans in microgravity. 

The crew members of Expedition 34 put together the following 

description of their patch: “The outer border of the Expedition 34 

patch takes the mold line of a crew transfer or generic resupply 

vehicle which will form our bridge 

to the orbiting outpost throughout 

the second half of its operational 

lifetime. The (station) in flight 

represents the dedication, 

ingenuity, and cooperation 

amongst the thousands and 

thousands of workers around 

the globe who have successfully 

designed and built a wonder of 

our modern world. The distant 

stars, like those visible in our 

night sky, beckon us to come further into the depths of space. 

‘Off the Earth. . . For the Earth’ - Our acknowledgement of 

the responsibility and commitment to work diligently for all 

inhabitants of planet Earth."

THE MISSION PATCH:

50475 Very Red 50643

drk royal blue

50064

black 50212 ice blue

50045

penguin grey

50542

yellow orange 50219

blue horizon

186 295 cool gray 4 123 cool 

grey 9 292 7452