Soyuz TMA-18M (Soyuz Programme) Black Coffee Mug

The Soyuz TMA-18M is a manned spacecraft mission that falls under the Soyuz Programme, which has been operational since 1967. This specific flight, launched in 2015, served as the 123rd mission to visit and dock with the International Space Station (ISS). The primary objective of the Soyuz TMA-18M was to transport a three-person crew to the ISS for a duration of approximately six months. The spacecraft took off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and was piloted by Gennady Padalka, Mikhail Kornienko, and Scott Kelly. Upon arrival at the ISS, they joined the Expedition 43/44 crew members already aboard. The mission marked a significant milestone in space exploration and international cooperation, as it contributed to the ongoing research, maintenance, and development on board the ISS. Notably, Scott Kelly spent nearly an entire year (340 days) on the ISS during his tenure with Soyuz TMA-18M, setting a new record for the longest single stay by a NASA astronaut in space. The mission successfully concluded with a safe return to Earth in March 2016. The Soyuz Programme continues to be instrumental in delivering crew members and supplies to the ISS as part of the ongoing collaborative efforts between international space agencies.