Ivan Bella (born 25 May 1964 in Brezno, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia)) is a Slovak Air Force officer who became the first Slovak citizen to fly in space. He participated in an eight-day joint Russian-French-Slovak mission to the Mir space station in 1999.
Soyuz TM-28 was the 37th mission and the 26th long-duration expedition to Mir space station. The mission began on August 13, 1998, 09:43:11 UTC, launching Commander Gennady Padalka, Flight Engineer Sergei Avdeyev and Research Cosmonaut Yuri Baturin into orbit. They docked with Mir two days later. During their stay there, cosmonauts performed several EVAs and various scientific experiments in medicine, biotechnology, Earth sciences etc. Station crew was visited by several Progress resupply spacecrafts, and welcomed aboard Soyuz TM-29 with the next expedition crew. The mission concluded with a safe landing back on Earth on February 28, 1999, 02:14:30 UTC.
Low Earth OrbitSoyuz TM-29 was the 38th mission and the 27th long-duration expedition to Mir space station. The mission began on February 20, 1999, 04:18:01 UTC, launching Commander Viktor Afanasyev, Flight Engineer Jean-Pierre Haigneré and Research Cosmonaut/Fight Engineer Ivan Bella, who became the first Slovakian cosmonaut, into orbit. They docked with Mir two days later. During their stay there, cosmonauts performed several EVAs and various scientific experiments. Station crew was visited by several Progress resupply spacecrafts. The mission concluded with a safe landing back on Earth on August 28, 1999, 00:34:20 UTC.
Low Earth OrbitThe Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities, commonly known as Roscosmos, is the governmental body responsible for the space science program of the Russian Federation and general aerospace research. Soyuz has many launch locations the Russian sites are Baikonur, Plesetsk and Vostochny however Ariane also purchases the vehicle and launches it from French Guiana.