National Aeronautics and Space Administration

International Space Station

EXPEDITION 38begins begins Nov. 11, 2013 and ends March 12, 2014. This expedition will include 

research projects focusing on technology demonstration, cellular and plant biology, 

human health management for long duration space travel and maturing critical systems that currently support the International Space 

Station. There are two planned Russian spacewalks for Expedition 38: one in December 2013 and one in February 2014.

Expedition 38 includes a variety of research, ranging from protein crystal 

growth studies and biological studies of plant seedling growth to technology 

demonstrations that will improve understanding of liquid movement in 

microgravity to student experiments that observe celestial events in space. 

One of several key research focus areas for this expedition is human health 

management for long duration space travel, as NASA and Roscosmos prepare 

for two crew members to spend one year aboard the space station in 2015. 

Born: Simferopol, Ukraine

Interests: Scuba diving

Spaceflights: Exps. 15, 22, 23 

Cosmonaut Bio: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/

htmlbios/kotov-ov.html

Oleg Kotov (Roscosmos) – Commander

(AH’-leg KO’-tuff)

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: http://twitter.com/Astro_Wakata

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

wakata/index.html

Koichi Wakata (JAXA) – Flight Engineer

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

Born: Kolomna, Russia

Interests: Sailing, mathematics

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

Cosmonaut Bio: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/

turin.html

Mikhail Tyurin (Roscosmos) – Flight Engineer 

(MEEK-hail Tee-YOU-run)

Soyuz 36 TMA-11M • Launch: Nov. 6, 2013 • Landing: May 2014

THE CREW:

Soyuz 36 TMA-10M • Launch: Sept. 25, 2013 • Landing: March 12, 2014

THE SCIENCE:

What's

the crew

working

on?

[MISSION SUMMARY]

Born: Moscow, Russia

Interests: Numismatics, playing guitar, tourism, sports

Spaceflights: Exps. 37 and 38 mark his first mission

Cosmonaut Bio: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/

ryazanskiy.html

Sergey Ryazanskiy (Roscosmos) – Flight Engineer

(Sir-gey Rih-ZAN-skee)

Born: Lebanon, Mo.

Interests: Backpacking, camping, snow skiing, weight 

lifting, running, hockey, football

Spaceflights: Exps. 37 and 38 mark his first mission

Twitter: http://twitter.com/AstroIllini

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/trainastronaut

Astronaut Bio: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/

hopkins-ms.html

Mike Hopkins (NASA) – Flight Engineer

Born: Waterbury, Conn.

Interests: Flying, baseball, basketball, swimming, wood 

working, spending time with his family

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/AstroRM

Astronaut Bio: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/

mastracc.html

Richard Mastracchio (NASA) – Flight Engineer 

(Richard Muh-STRAH-kee-oh)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

Houston, Texas 77058

www.nasa.gov

NP-2013-11-028-JSC

International

Space Station

Mission

Summary

n Multiple Protein 

Crystal Growth 

Experiments

High quality crystals 

grown on the space 

station are used to 

determine protein 

structure, which helps 

researchers better 

understand protein 

function. This knowledge 

will lead to designing new 

therapeutics for diseases. 

In fact, a previous study of protein crystals on the space station led to 

discovery of a water molecule in a protein-inhibitor complex that is now 

being used to develop a treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Several new protein crystal growth experiments will be conducted 

during Expedition 38. One called the Commercial Protein Crystal 

Growth - High Density Protein Crystal Growth Modified (CPCG-HM) 

uses the microgravity environment to determine the best crystal 

growth strategies for optimal protein crystal structures. Another 

investigation, the Center for Advancement of Science in Space Protein 

Crystal Growth High Density Protein Crystal Growth-1 (CASIS PCG 

HDPCG-1) seeks to crystallize huntingtin, a protein associated with 

Huntington’s disease. The CASIS PCG HDPCG-2 investigation seeks 

to crystallize the cystic fibrosis protein and closely related proteins to 

improve treatments for cystic fibrosis. The fourth new protein crystal 

investigation, the HDPCG (Merck) study, seeks to crystallize a human 

monoclonal antibody, an antibody capable of identical copy, developed 

by Merck Research Labs. This antibody is currently undergoing clinical 

trials for the treatment of an immunological disease. 

n Multi-Gas Monitor

The Multi-Gas Monitor is a technology demonstration of a portable 

As the International Space Station has become a stepping stone to future space exploration, 

the Expedition 38 mission patch design paints a visual roadmap of exploration beyond low 

Earth orbit, most prominently represented by the design's flowing Expedition 38 mission 

numbers that wrap around Earth, the moon and Mars. Just as the sun is a guiding light in 

the galaxy, the space station illuminates the bottom of the design as a shining beacon of the 

advancement of science, knowledge and technology carried out aboard the space station. 

To visually capture the idea of the space station being a foundation for infinite discovery, 

the space station's iconic solar arrays span upwards, providing the number 38 and its 

exploration roadmap a symbolic pedestal to rest on. Finally, the overall use of red, white and 

blue in the design acknowledges the flags of the countries of origin for Expedition 38's crew 

-- the United States, Russia, and Japan. 

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-38/html/iss038-s-001.html

THE MISSION PATCH:

An artist's rendering 

shows the Optical 

Payload for Lasercomm 

Science (OPALS) laser 

beaming down to Earth 

from the International 

Space Station. (NASA)

An image of Crystal of Trypsin grown in 

microgravity during Expedition 4 on the 

International Space Station. (NASA)

laser spectroscopy device that can simultaneously measure 

oxygen, carbon dioxide, ammonia and water vapor in microgravity. 

Spectroscopy studies the interaction between matter and radiated 

energy, and the data is often represented by a spectrum. Laser 

spectroscopy points a laser beam at a sample, resulting in a 

characteristic light source for analysis.

n T-Cell Activation in Space

The T-Cell Activation in Space investigation seeks to identify the 

defect in T-cell activation, an immune response used to fight foreign 

antigens, during microgravity exposure. This research also can help in 

understanding and treating a range of auto-immune diseases such as 

arthritis and diabetes. Identifying this defect may someday inhibit the 

decline of the immune system as a normal part of the aging process. 

n Optical Payload for Lasercomm Science 

The Optical Payload for Lasercomm Science (OPALS) investigation 

tests the use of laser optics to transfer information to the ground. 

The switch from radio frequency to a laser beam—which can be 

hundreds to thousands of times narrower in comparison to radio 

waves—could improve communication data rates by a factor of 10 to 

100. This advanced approach stands to increase the amount of data 

future missions can send using the same power resources, optimizing 

research return.