Expedition 6

Expedition 6 is a play created and directed by Bill Pullman. Performing at the Magic Theatre, Fort Mason through October 7th.

The play is about the Expedition 6 Space Station crew who were stranded in Earth orbit after shuttle Columbia disintegrated on re-entry in 2003. There would be no more shuttle flights for 2 years.

The Russian and 2 Americans on the Space Station would eventually return to Earth in a Soyuz capsule (A re-entry vehicle unfamiliar to the Americans, and designed for the smaller Russian Cosmonauts).

The Soyuz landed in Kazakhstan 275 miles short of its' target, and was not heard from or located for 4 hours. During this time it was not known whether the 3 men were alive.

The men, weakened by having spent 161 days in micro gravity, crawled out of their capsule and lay on the Kazakhstan dirt while they waited to be rescued. To the Americans, after their long ordeal, this Kazakhstan soil was their home soil. Earth.

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In conjunction with the play, there is a very good exhibit of space memorabilia by the Chabot Space & Science Center. Guests are invited to examine the objects: I tried on the Russian space glove. It is so well designed that I was easily able to write in a notebook while wearing the glove. I didn't try sitting in the Soyuz re-entry 'couch'. I would fit, but at 6', I would be too tall.


Categories:Art