Expedition 45 "Return of the Jedi" poster. Credits: NASA

Expedition 45 “Return of the Jedi” poster. Credits: NASA

The ATV programme might be over, but the legend lives on. Our favourite X-Wing aircraft shows up in NASA’s Expedition 45 poster to the left of the green lightsaber held by Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko. This is fitting as Oleg is an ATV master, he was on the International Space Station during ATV’s maiden flight Jules Verne in 2008 and monitored docking of ATV Edoardo Amaldi with ESA astronaut André Kuipers in 2011.

Sergei Volkov, holding the blue lightsaber, was also on the Space Station with Oleg when Jules Verne arrived. They even posed for a picture together inside the spacecraft (see last image below).

All the astronauts in this Expedition 45 poster will be on the International Space Station during ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen’s 10-day ‘iriss’ mission launching 1 September.

Sergei Volkov et Oleg Kononenko monitor docking of ATV Jules Verne Credit: NASA

Sergei Volkov and Oleg Kononenko monitor docking of ATV Jules Verne Credit: NASA

Andre Kuipers and Oleg Kononenko training for ATV docking

Andre Kuipers and Oleg Kononenko training for ATV docking

Oleg and Sergei inside ATV Jules Verne. Credits: NASA

Oleg and Sergei inside ATV Jules Verne. Credits: NASA