# ci263 With Soyuz TMA-21 cosmonaut A.Samokutyayev

Our good friend cosmonaut Alexander Samokutyaev, commander of Soyuz TMA-1 flight returned from 164 days on ISS. Samokutyayev flew into space for the first time as a Flight Engineer for the ISS long duration Expedition 27/28 missions.It was a special flight.

For the first time Soyuz ship carried a special commemorative “Yuri Gagarin” designation, since launch of Soyuz TMA-21 in April 2011 was from the same launch pad Yuri Gagarin flown first in space 50 years earlier.

Few days after launch of Soyuz TMA-21  On April 7, 2011 United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring April 12 as the International Day of Human Space Flight.

Photos taken during visits before and after space mission.Pictures depict Alexander and me with our Siberian Huskies SPUTNIK and COSMOS (picture taken here at the house first day of after flight visit) and photos taken during pre flight period: with children Greg and Samuel Panchenko, checking Samuel's math homework, with children at aircraft carrier museum and field trips.