Astronaut Crew Interactions

Images of astronaut crews in training and press briefings, showcasing preparations for missions to the International Space Station.

Expedition 36 European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano, right, is seen talking to family members after donning his Russian Sokol suit in preparation for his launch aboard the Soyuz rocket, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Parmitano, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

Expedition 54 prime crew members flight engineer Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), left, Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos, center, and flight engineer Scott Tingle of NASA, right, are seen during the State Commission meeting to approve the Soyuz launch of Expedition 54 to the International Space Station, Saturday, Dec. 16, 2017, at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Kanai, Shkaplerov, and Tingle are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Dec. 17.

jsc2020e017041 - At the Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 63 crewmembers Chris Cassidy of NASA (left) and Anatoly Ivanishin (center) and Ivan Vagner (right) of Roscosmos listen to questions provided by reporters in a virtual question and answer session April 8 as they prepare for launch. They will launch April 9 on the Soyuz MS-16 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for a six-and-a-half month mission on the International Space Station...Andrey Shelepin/Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.

Expedition 43 backup crew members Sergei Volkov, left, and Alexey Ovchinin and of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), center, and NASA Astronaut Jeff Williams attend a training briefing, Saturday, March 21, 2015 at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 43 prime crew members: NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly, and Russian Cosmonauts Gennady Padalka, and Mikhail Kornienko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station in the Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan March 28, Kazakh time (March 27 Eastern time.) As the one-year crew, Kelly and Kornienko will return to Earth on Soyuz TMA-18M in March 2016.

11-13-04-2:At the Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 40/41 Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency (left), Soyuz Commander Max Suraev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, center) and NASA Flight Engineer Reid Wiseman (right) practice rendezvous techniques on laptop simulators May 21 as they head into the homestretch of their pre-launch training. The trio will launch on May 29, Kazakh time, on the Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station.NASA/Victor Zelentsov

Expedition 55 flight engineer Ricky Arnold of NASA, left, Soyuz Commander Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos, center, and flight engineer Drew Feustel of NASA, right, are seen in quarantine, behind glass, during a press conference, Tuesday, March 20, 2018 a the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Arnold, Artemyev, and Feustel are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft on Wednesday, March, 21.

Expedition 60 flight engineer Andrew Morgan of NASA, left, answers a question with Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos, center, and flight engineer Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency), right, during a press conference, Friday, July 19, 2019 at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Morgan, Skvortsov, and Parmitano are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft at 12:28 p.m. Eastern time (9:28 p.m. Baikonur time) on Saturday, July 20.

At their Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, the Expedition 34/35 crew practices docking simulations on a laptop computer Dec. 13, 2012 as they prepare for launch Dec. 19. NASA Flight Engineer Tom Marshburn (left), Soyuz Commander Roman Romanenko (center) and Flight Engineer Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency (right) are preparing for launch Dec. 19 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on the Soyuz TMA-07M spacecraft for a five-month mission on the International Space Station.NASA/Victor Zelentsov

Expedition 40 Soyuz Commander Maxim Suraev of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, second left, reacts as he is introduced during a press conference, Tuesday, May 27, 2014, at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 40 Soyuz Commander Maxim Suraev of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency, ESA, and Flight Engineer Reid Wiseman of NASA will launch aboard their Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft on their mission to the International Space Station in the early hours of May 29.

jsc2020e017045 - At the Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 63 crewmember Ivan Vagner of Roscosmos (right) responds to questions provided by reporters in a virtual question and answer session April 8 as he prepares for launch. Vagner and Anatoly Ivanishin (center) of Roscosmos and Chris Cassidy (left) of NASA will launch April 9 on the Soyuz MS-16 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for a six-and-a-half month mission on the International Space Station...Andrey Shelepin/Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.

Expedition 36 European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano, right, is seen talking to family members after donning his Russian Sokol suit in preparation for his launch aboard the Soyuz rocket, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Parmitano, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

jsc2018e043403 (May 10, 2018) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 56 backup crew members Anne McClain of NASA (left), Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos (center) and David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency (right) report for their final Soyuz spacecraft qualification exams May 10. They are the backups to the prime crew of Serena Aunon-Chancellor of NASA, Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos and Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency, who will launch June 6 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft for a six-month mission on the International Space Station...NASA/Elizabeth Weissinger.

At their Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 59 crewmembers Christina Koch of NASA (left), Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos (center) and Nick Hague of NASA (right) rehearse rendezvous and docking techniques on a laptop computer simulator March 7 as they prepare for launch. They will launch March 14, U.S. time, on the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for a six-and-a-half month mission on the International Space Station...NASA/Victor Zelentsov.

Spaceflight Participant Guy Laliberté, left, Expedition 21 Flight Engineer Maxim Suraev, center, and Expedition 21 Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams wave hello and point to members of their families at the start of the press conference, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009 at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

Expedition 65 prime crew members NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, far left, and Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy, second left, and Pyotr Dubrov of Roscosmos, center, are seen with backup crew members Russian cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev, third from right, and Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos, second from right, and NASA astronaut Anne McClain while speaking with mission managers during the final Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft fit check, Sunday, April 4, 2021 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The prime crew is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station on a Soyuz rocket April 9.

Expedition 64 backup crew member Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos signs in for Soyuz qualification exams while NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, left, and Russian cosmonaut Petr Dubrov of Roscosmos, right, look on, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020 at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia.

Expedition 58 crew, from left to right, Flight Engineer Anne McClain of NASA, Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) speak to family and friends after having their Russian Sokol suits pressure checked in preparation for their launch aboard the Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft on Monday, Dec. 3, 2018, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for the same day and will carry Kononenko, Saint-Jacques, and McClain into orbit to begin their six and a half month mission on the International Space Station.

At their Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 33/34 Flight Engineer Kevin Ford of NASA (left), Soyuz Commander Oleg Novitskiy (center) and Flight Engineer Evgeny Tarelkin (right) review docking procedures with their Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center instructors October 17, 2012 as they prepare for launch October 23 to the International Space Station in their Soyuz TMA-06M spacecraft. The trio will spend five months on the orbital laboratory.NASA/Victor Zelentsov

Expedition 65 backup crew members NASA astronaut Anne McClain, left, and Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov, center, and Oleg Artemyev, right, of Roscosmos practice rendezvous techniques on a laptop simulator, Saturday, April 3, 2021, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The prime crew is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft on April 9.

Expedition 60 flight engineer Andrew Morgan of NASA is blessed by a Russian Orthodox Priest in the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to departing for launch on a Soyuz rocket with fellow crewmates Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos and Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency), Saturday, July 20, 2019 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Skvortsov, Morgan, and Parmitano launched at 12:28 p.m. Eastern time (9:28 p.m. Baikonur time) to begin their mission to the International Space Station.

jsc2020e016956 - At the Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 63 crewmembers Ivan Vagner (left) and Anatoly Ivanishin (center) of Roscosmos and Chris Cassidy of NASA (right) review launch procedures April 1. They will launch April 9 on the Soyuz MS-16 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a six-and-a-half month mission on the International Space Station...Andrey Shelepin/Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.

Expedition 60 flight engineer Andrew Morgan of NASA, left, Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos, center, and flight engineer Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency), right, pose for a picture at the conclusion of a press conference, Friday, July 19, 2019 at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Morgan, Skvortsov, and Parmitano are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft at 12:28 p.m. Eastern time (9:28 p.m. Baikonur time) on Saturday, July 20.

Expedition 65 NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, left, Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy, center, and Pyotr Dubrov talk with mission management prior to their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station Friday, April 9, 2021 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

Expedition 55 flight engineer Ricky Arnold of NASA, left, Soyuz Commander Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos, center, and flight engineer Drew Feustel of NASA, right, are seen at the conclusion of a press conference, Tuesday, March 20, 2018 a the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Arnold, Artemyev, and Feustel are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft on Wednesday, March, 21.

Expedition 49 flight engineer Shane Kimbrough of NASA, left, Soyuz commander Sergey Ryzhikov of Roscosmos, center, and flight engineer Andrey Borisenko of Roscosmos, right, work on Soyuz training at the Cosmonaut Hotel on Friday, Sept. 16, 2016 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Kimbrough, Ryzhikov, and Borisenko are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-02 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on September 24 Kazakh time.

At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 59 crewmembers Christina Koch of NASA (left), Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos (center) and Nick Hague of NASA (right) pose for pictures Feb. 19 during the first of two days of final pre-launch qualification exams. They will launch March 14, U.S. time, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft for a six-and-a-half month mission on the International Space Station.NASA/Beth Weissinger

Expedition 38 Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency is seen laying in a seat liner as he and fellow crew mates, Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos, seated left, and, Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA, have their Russian Sokol suits pressure checked a few hours ahead of their launch, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2013, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Tyurin, Wakata, and, Mastracchio will launch in their Soyuz TMA-11M spacecraft to the International Space Station to begin a six-month mission.

Expedition 40 Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency, ESA, left, Soyuz Commander Maxim Suraev of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, center, and Flight Engineer Reid Wiseman of NASA, left, are seen after having their Russian Sokol suits pressure checked in preparation for their launch onboard the Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft on Wednesday, May 28, 2014 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The trio is set to launch on a six month mission to the International Space Station onboard the Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft at 1:57 a.m. Kazakhstan time on Thursday, May 29.

Expedition 65 NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, left, Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov, right, are seen in quarantine, behind glass, during a press conference, Thursday, April 8, 2021 a the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The trio are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft on April 9.

Quarantined Expedition 31 prime crew members, from left, NASA Flight Engineer Joe Acaba, Russian Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka, Russian Flight Engineer Sergei Revin, along with Expedition 31 backup few members, Kevin Ford, Oleg Novitskiy and Evgeny Tarelkin pose for a group photo during a prelaunch press conference held at the Cosmonaut Hotel on Monday, May 14, 2012 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The launch of the Soyuz spacecraft with Padalka, Revin, and Acaba is scheduled for 9:01 a.m. local time on Tuesday, May 15.

Expedition 61 crewmembers Jessica Meir of NASA and Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos, and spaceflight participant Hazzaa Ali Almansoori of the United Arab Emirates talk with officials a few hours ahead of their launch on a Soyuz rocket, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Meir, Skripochka, and Almansoori will launch on the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome to the International Space Station.

jsc2020e016960 - At the Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 63 crewmembers Chris Cassidy of NASA (left) and Ivan Vagner (center) and Anatoly Ivanishin (right) of Roscosmos play a game of chess April 1. They are preparing to launch April 9 on the Soyuz MS-16 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a six-and-a-half month mission on the International Space Station...Andrey Shelepin/Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.

Expedition 22 Soyuz Commander Oleg Kotov, left, answers a reporter's question as Flight Engineer Soichi Noguchi of the Japan looks on during a press conference held at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Saturday, Dec., 19, 2009. The launch of the Soyuz spacecraft with Expedition 22 NASA Flight Engineer Timothy J. Creamer of the U.S., Soyuz Commander Oleg Kotov of Russia and Flight Engineer Soichi Noguchi of Japan, is scheduled for Monday, Dec., 21, 2009 at 3:52a.m. Kazakhstan time.

jsc2019e038383 - At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 60 crewmembers Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos (left), Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (center) and Drew Morgan of NASA (right) pose for pictures with their Sokol launch and entry suits July 5 during pre-launch preparations. They will launch July 20 on the Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for a mission on the International Space Station...Andrey Shelepin/GCTC.

jsc2017e136442 - In the Integration Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 54-55 crewmember Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) undergoes a leak check on his Sokol launch and entry suit Dec. 5 as part of the first fit check dress rehearsal activities while crewmates Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA, left) and Scott Tingle of NASA (right) look on. They will launch Dec. 17 in the Soyuz MS-07 vehicle for a five-month mission on the International Space Station...Courtesy of Roscosmos.

0419:At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 40/41 Soyuz commander Max Suraev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) signs in for final qualification exams May 7 as his crewmates, Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency (left) and Flight Engineer Reid Wiseman of NASA (right) look on. The trio is preparing for their launch on May 29, Kazakh time, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazkahstan on the Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft for a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station.NASA/Stephanie Stoll

Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi, seated left, Expedition 19 Commander Gennady I. Padalka, seated center, Flight Engineer Michael R. Barratt, seated right, backup spaceflight participant Esther Dyson, standing left, backup Expedition 19 flight engineer Maxim Suraev, standing center, and backup commander Jeffrey Williams are seen in the suit up room at building 254 on Thursday, March 26, 2009 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

jsc2018e081048 (Sept. 12, 2018) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 57 crewmember Nick Hague of NASA (right) signs in Sept. 13 for the first day of Soyuz qualification exams as crewmate Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos looks on. Ovchinin and Hague are scheduled to launch Oct. 11 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on the Soyuz MS-10 spacecraft for a six month mission on the International Space Station...NASA/Sarah Volkman.

Expedition 51 Flight Engineer Jack Fischer of NASA, left, answers a question with Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of Roscosmos, right, during a press conference on Wednesday, April 19, 2017 at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for April 20 and will carry Yurchikhin and Fischer into orbit to begin their four and a half month mission on the International Space Station.

Expedition 65 prime crew members NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, left, and Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy, center, and Pyotr Dubrov, right, of Roscosmos practice rendezvous techniques on a laptop simulator, Saturday, April 3, 2021, at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. They are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft on April 9.

At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 46-47 prime crewmembers Tim Peake of the European Space Agency (left), Tim Kopra of NASA (center) and Yuri Malenchenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, right) answer reporters questions Nov. 19 at the start of two days of qualification exams. They will launch Dec. 15 in the Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a six-month mission on the International Space Station.NASA/Seth Marcantel

Expedition 31 NASA backup crew member Kevin Ford, left, Oleg Novitskiy and Evgeny Tarelkin, third from left, select International Space Station Russian segment event simulation test cards for their final qualification test in preparation for flight, Tuesday, April 24, 2012 at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia.

Quarantined Expedition 32 Canadian backup crewmember Chris Hadfield, right, answers reporters questions from behind glass during a prelaunch press conference held at the Cosmonaut Hotel on Friday, July 13, 2012 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Seated next to him is Expedition 32 Russian backup crewmember Roman Romanenko.

Expedition 41 Soyuz Commander, Alexander Samokutyaev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), center, answers a question during a press conference on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2014, at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. He is seen with Flight Engineer Barry Wilmore of NASA, left, and Flight Engineer Elena Serova of Roscosmos, right. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for Sept. 26 and will carry Samokutyaev, Wilmore, and Serova into orbit to begin their five and a half month mission on the International Space Station. Serova will become the fourth Russian woman to fly in space and the first Russian woman to live and work on the station.

jsc2020e016214 - At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 63 crewmembers Chris Cassidy of NASA (left) and Anatoly Ivanishin (center) and Ivan Vagner (right) of Roscosmos arrive for Soyuz qualification exams March 11 in advance of their scheduled launch April 9 in the Soyuz MS-16 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a six-and-a-half month mission on the International Space Station...Andrey Shelepin/Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.

Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg of NASA, left, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), center, and Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, receive a traditional blessing from an Orthodox Priest prior to the three crew members departing the Cosmonaut Hotel for suit up and launch onboard a Soyuz to the International Space Station, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, Baikonur Kazakhstan. The crew's Soyuz rocket is scheduled to launch at 2:31a.m., Wednesday May 29, Kazakh time. Yurchikhin, Nyberg, and, Parmitano, will remain aboard the station until mid-November.

Expedition 59 astronaut Nick Hague of NASA signs a door in the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to departing for launch on a Soyuz rocket with Christina Koch of NASA, and Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos, Thursday, March 14, 2019 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Hague, Koch, and Ovchinin will launch March 14, U.S. time, on the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for a six-and-a-half month mission on the International Space Station.

Expedition 56 backup crew members Anne McClain of NASA, left, Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos, center, and David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency, right, are seen as they watch prime crew members Serena Auñón-Chancellor of NASA, Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos, and Alexander Gerst of ESA (European Space Agency) talk with family and friends after having their Russian Sokol suits pressure checked in preparation for launch aboard the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft, Wednesday, June 6, 2018 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Auñón-Chancellor, Prokopyev, and Gerst launched aboard the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft at 7:12am EDT (5:12pm Baikonur time) on June 6 to begin their journey to the International Space Station.

From left, Spaceflight Participant Guy Laliberté, Expedition 21 Flight Engineer Maxim Suraev, Expedition 21 Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams, Backup Spaceflight Participant Barbara Barrett, backup Expedition 21 Commander Aleksandr Skvortsov, and backup Expedition 21 Flight Engineer Shannon Walker pose for a group photograph at the end of a press conference, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009 at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Williams, Suraev and Laliberté are scheduled to launch onboard a Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Expedition 39 Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked in preparation for his launch onboard the Soyuz TMA-12M spacecraft on Tuesday, March 25, 2014 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Soyuz spacecraft with Skvortsov, Expedition 39 Flight Engineer Steve Swanson of NASA and Flight Engineer Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos is scheduled to launch at 3:17 a.m. Kazakhstan Time on Wednesday, March 26.

Expedition 64 backup crew members NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, left, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, center, and Russian cosmonaut Petr Dubrov of Roscosmos arrive for Soyuz qualification exams Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020 at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia.

At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (right) signs in for another round of qualification exams May 6 as his crewmates, Karen Nyberg of NASA (left) and Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin (center) look on. Nyberg, Yurchikhin and Parmitano are set to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in their Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft on May 29, Kazakh time, for a five-month mission on the International Space Station.NASA/Stephanie Stoll

Expedition 65 crew member Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, signs in for Soyuz qualification exams Monday, March 22, 2021, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia, in advance of his scheduled launch April 9 from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station.

Expedition 54 flight engineer Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) speaks during the State Commission meeting to approve the Soyuz launch of Expedition 54 to the International Space Station, Saturday, Dec. 16, 2017 at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Kanai, Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos, and flight engineer Scott Tingle of NASA are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on December 17.

At their crew quarters at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 30 Flight Engineer Andre Kuipers of the European Space Agency (left), Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko (center) and NASA Flight Engineer Don Pettit (right) listen to a review of flight data file information from a training instructor Dec. 15, 2011 as the trio prepares for launch Dec. 21 to the International Space Station in their Soyuz TMA-03M spacecraft from Baikonur.

View from the balcony of the Russian Mission Control Center shows a photo of the Expedition 32 crew members gathered together, Tuesday, July 17, 2012, in Korolev, Russia. Pictured are Expedition 32 crew members JAXA Flight Engineer Akihiko Hoshide, far left, Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko, NASA Flight Engineer Sunita Williams, NASA Flight Engineer Joe Acaba, Expedition 32 Commander Gennady Padalka of Russia, Flight Engineer Sergei Revin of Russia, far right. Malenchenko, Williams and Hoshide's arrival to the International Space Station comes two days after they launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry Virts (left), answers a question during a press conference on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2014, at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. He is seen with fellow crew member Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) (right). Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for Nov. 24 and will carry Virts, Shkaplerov, and Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency into orbit to begin their five and a half month mission on the International Space Station.

Expedition 37 NASA Flight Engineer Michael Hopkins, far left, Soyuz Commander Oleg Kotov and Russian Flight Engineer Sergey Ryazanskiy, far right, wave and give the thumbs up following a press conference held at the Cosmonaut Hotel, on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2013, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for September 26 and will send Hopkings, Kotov, Ryazanski on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

jsc2017e038909 (03/31/2017) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 51 crewmember Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, left) smiles as his crew mate, Jack Fischer of NASA (right) signs in March 31 for the second of two days of of final qualification exams. Yurchikhin and Fischer will launch April 20 on the Soyuz MS-04 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a four and a half month mission on the International Space Station. Expedition 51. Photo: Rob Navias/NASA.

Expedition 70 Press Conference. Expedition 70 NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara, left, Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, and Nikolai Chub, right, are seen in quarantine behind glass during a press conference, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023 at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. O'Hara, Kononenko, Chub are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft on Sept. 15.

At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 49-50 backup crewmembers Mark Vande Hei of NASA (right, far left) and Alexander Misurkin (right, center) and Nikolai Tikhonov (right, far right) of Roscosmos report to officials Aug. 30 at the start of final qualification exams. They are serving as backups to prime crewmembers Shane Kimbrough of NASA and Andrey Borisenko and Sergey Ryzhikov of Roscosmos who will launch on Sept. 24 (Kazakh time) on their Soyuz MS-02 vehicle from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a five-month mission on the International Space Station.NASA/Stephanie Stoll

From left to right, Russian Space Forces cosmonaut Yuri Shargin, Expedition 10 Commander and NASA Science Officer Leroy Chiao, Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander Salizhan Sharipov, Expedition 10 backup Soyuz Commander Valery Tokarev and backup Expedition Commander Bill McArthur speak with officials from behind glass after having conducted a final inspection of their Soyuz TMA-5 spacecraft on Saturday, October 9, 2004, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in preparation for their launch October 14 to the International Space Station. The Soyuz vehicle will be mated to its booster rocket October 11 in preparation for its rollout to the Central Asian launch pad October 12.

Expedition 65 crew member NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, signs in for Soyuz qualification exams while crew mates Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, left, and Russian cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov of Roscosmos look on, Monday, March 22, 2021, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia, in advance of their scheduled launch April 9 from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station.

Expedition 28 Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa speaks during a press conference as NASA backup Flight Engineer Don Pettit looks on, Monday, June 6, 2011, at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The mission is set to launch on Tuesday, June 8, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

jsc2017e100905 (July 18, 2017) --- Expedition 52-53 backup crewmembers Alexander Misurkin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, left), Mark Vande Hei of NASA (center) and Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA, right) receive a briefing on a model of Soyuz rocket in the space museum in the town of Baikonur, Kazakhstan July 18. The three are serving as backups to Sergey Ryazanskiy of Roscosmos, Randy Bresnik of NASA and Paolo Nespoli of the European Space Agency, who will launch July 28 on the Soyuz MS-05 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for a five-month mission on the International Space Station.

At their Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 38/39 Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (left), Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin (center) and Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA (right) brush up on their flight plan with a training instructor Nov. 1 as they prepare for launch Nov. 7, Kazakh time, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard the Soyuz TMA-11M spacecraft to begin a six-month mission on the International Space Station.NASA/Victor Zelentsov

Expedition 64 backup crew member Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos signs in for his Soyuz qualification exams as crew mates Mark Vande Hei of NASA, left, and Petr Dubrov of Roscosmos look on, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020 at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia.

Expedition 37 NASA Flight Engineer Michael Hopkins, far left, Soyuz Commander Oleg Kotov, Russian Flight Engineer Sergey Ryazanskiy, backup crewmembers Steve Swanson of NASA, Alexander Skvortsov of Russia and Oleg Artemyev of Russia, far right, are seen at a press conference held at the Cosmonaut Hotel, on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2013, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 48-49 prime crewmembers Kate Rubins of NASA (left), Anatoly Ivanishin of Roscosmos (center) and Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (right) pose for pictures May 26 during a final qualification exam session. Rubins, Onishi and Ivanishin will launch June 24 on the Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a four-month mission on the International Space Station.NASA/Stephanie Stoll

NASA ISS Program Manager Joel Montalbano and NASA Director for Human Space Flight Programs, Russia, Tricia Mack are seen as NASA, Roscosmos, and Russian Search and Recovery Forces meet at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Karaganda, Kazakhstan to discuss the readiness for the landing of Expedition 66 crew members Mark Vande Hei of NASA, and Pyotr Dubrov, and Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos, Monday, March 28, 2022, at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Vande Hei and Dubrov will be returning to Earth after logging 355 days in space as members of Expeditions 64-66 aboard the International Space Station. For Vande Hei, his mission is the longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut in history. Shkaplerov will be returning after 176 days in space, serving as a Flight Engineer for Expedition 65 and commander of Expedition 66.

At their Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, the next trio of crewmembers who will launch to the International Space Station review launch and docking flight plans May 10, 2012 as they prepare for liftoff to the orbital outpost. With their instructor (far left) are Expedition 31/32 Flight Engineer Sergei Revin (second from left), Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Joe Acaba of NASA (far right). They will launch May 15 on the Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome to begin a four-month mission on the orbital outpost.NASA/Victor Zelentsov

At the Korolev Museum in the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the prime and backup crews preparing for launch to the International Space Station to round out the Expedition 30 crew pose for pictures December 16, 2011 as they wrap up training for launch on Dec. 21 on the Soyuz TMA-03M spacecraft. From left to right are backup Flight Engineer Aki Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, backup Flight Engineer Suni Williams of NASA, backup Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko, the host greeting the crew in the museum, prime Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko, prime Flight Engineer Andre Kuipers of the European Space Agency and prime Flight Engineer Don Pettit of NASA. Kononenko, Kuipers and Pettit will spend five and a half months on the complex.

jsc2019e051857 - At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, spaceflight participant Hazzaa Ali Almansoori of the United Arab Emirates signs in for the second day of crew qualification exams Aug. 30. Along with Expedition 61 crewmembers Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos and Jessica Meir of NASA, Almansoori will launch Sept. 25 on the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a mission on the International Space Station...NASA/Beth Weissinger.

Expedition 65 prime crew member NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, left, and Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos center, and Pyotr Dubrov of Roscosmos, right, pose for a photo in front of the Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft, named after the first human to journey into space, Yuri Gagarin, after their fit check, Saturday, March 27, 2021 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. They are scheduled to launch on a Soyuz rocket April 9.

Quarantined Expedition 32 JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Flight Engineer Akihiko Hoshide, left, answers reporters questions from behind glass during a prelaunch press conference held at the Cosmonaut Hotel on Friday, July 13, 2012 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Seated next to him is Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko. The launch of the Soyuz spacecraft with Hoshide, Malenchenko, and NASA Flight Engineer Sunita Williams is scheduled for 8:40 a.m. local time on Sunday, July 15.

14-18-32:Outside the Korolev Museum at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 40/41 prime crewmembers Max Suraev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, far left), Flight Engineer Reid Wiseman of NASA (second from left) and Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency (third from left) display the flag of their Soyuz crew insignia May 24 during traditional pre-launch ceremonies. With them are backup crewmembers Terry Virts of NASA (third from right), Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (second from right) and Anton Shkaplerov (far right). Wiseman, Gerst and Suraev will launch May 29, Kazakh time, on the Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft for a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station.NASA/Victor Zelentsov

NASAs SpaceX Crew-4 at NASM. NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren, center, along with fellow astronauts Robert Hines, left, and Jessica Watkins, right, present Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum curator Jennifer Levasseur with a montage from their mission to the International Space Station, Tuesday, March 28, 2023 at the Smithsonians National Air and Space Museum in Washington. Lindgren, Hines, and Watkins spent 170 days in space as part of Expeditions 67 and 68 aboard the International Space Station.

Expedition 23 crew members, from left, NASAs Tracy Caldwell Dyson, Russian Alexander Skvortsov and Russian Mikhail Kornienko pose for photographers during a press conference held at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Thursday, April 1, 2010. The launch of the Soyuz spacecraft with Expedition 23 NASA Flight Engineer Tracy Caldwell Dyson, Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov and Flight Engineer Mikhail Kornienko is scheduled for Friday, April 2, 2010 at 10:04 a.m. Kazakhstan time.

Expedition 34/35 Flight Engineer Tom Marshburn has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked ahead of his launch onboard a Soyuz TMA-07M spacecraft to the International Space Station with fellow cremates, Flight Engineer Chris Hadfield and Soyuz Commander Roman Romanenko, on Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Marshburn, Romanenko and Hadfield on a five-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

jsc2018e081176 (Sept. 14, 2018) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 57 crew members Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos (left) and Nick Hague of NASA (right) report to officials Sept. 14 for the second day of their Soyuz qualification exams. They will launch Oct. 11 on the Soyuz MS-10 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a six-month mission on the International Space Station.

Starting from left, Flight Engineer and NASA Science Officer Mike Fincke, Expedition 9 Commander Gennady Padalka, European Space Agency astronaut Andre Kuipers of the Netherlands, NASA Expedition 9 backup Commander Leroy Chiao, backup Flight Engineer Salizhan Sharipov and backup European Space Agency astronaut Gerhard Thiele of Germany, talk to reporterrs from behind glass during a press conference held at the Cosmonaut Hotel, Sunday, April 18, 2004, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 9 is scheduled to be launched on April 19, to the International Space Station for an arrival on April 21.

jsc2018e097761 - At their Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 58 crewmembers Anne McClain of NASA (left) and Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos (right) practice rendezvous techniques on a laptop computer Nov. 27 as part of their pre-launch training. McClain, Kononenko and David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency will launch Dec. 3 on the Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a six-and-a-half month mission on the International Space Station...NASA/Victor Zelentsov.

Expedition 11 Commander Sergei Krikalev, Flight Engineer and NASA Science Officer John Phillips and European Space Agency Astronaut Roberto Vittori, of Italy, talk to Anatoly Perminov, Head of the Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS) prior to launch aboard the Soyuz TMA-6 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Friday, April 15, 2005. Krikalev and Phillips will spend six months on the Station, replacing Expedition 10 Commander Leroy Chiao and Flight Engineer Salizhan Sharipov, while Vittori will spend eight days on the Station under a commercial contract between ESA and the Russian Federal Space Agency, returning to Earth with Chiao and Sharipov on April 25.

At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 46-47 crewmember Tim Peake of the European Space Agency signs in for his qualification exam Nov. 20. Along with Yuri Malenchenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and Tim Kopra of NASA, Peake will launch Dec. 15 on the Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft Dec. 15 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a six-month mission on the International Space Station.NASA/Seth Marcantel

At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the Expedition 30 prime and backup crews pose for pictures around a poster of Yuri Gagarin, the first human to fly in space, as they toured the Korolev Museum November 9, 2011 following a final inspection of their Soyuz TMA-22 spacecraft. From left to right are the prime crew, Expedition 30 Commander Dan Burbank of NASA, Flight Engineer Anatoly Ivanishin, Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov, and the backup crew, Gennady Padalka, Joe Acaba of NASA and Sergei Revin. Burbank, Shkaplerov and Ivanishin are completing training for launch November 14 on the Soyuz TMA-22 from Baikonur to the International Space Station.

A view from the balcony of the Russian Mission Control Center shows live television of the Expedition 39 crew members gathered together on the International Space Station a few hours after the Soyuz TMA-12M spacecraft docked on Friday, March 28, 2014, in Korolev, Russia. Pictured are Expedition 39 crew members Flight Engineer Steve Swanson of NASA, left, Commander Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, back left, Flight Engineer Alexander Skvortsov of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, front center, Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA, back center, Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos, back right and Flight Engineer Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos, front right. Swanson, Skvortsov, and Oleg's arrival to the International Space Station comes two days after they launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

0253:At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 40/41 Flight Engineer Reid Wiseman of NASA (right) signs in for the first of two days of final qualification exams May 6 as his crewmates, Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency (left) and Soyuz commander Max Suraev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, center) look on. The trio is in the homestretch of training for launch May 29, Kazakh time, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on the Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft to spend 5 ½ months on the International Space Station.NASA/Stephanie Stoll

nhq2017070600102 (July 6, 2017) --- Expedition 52 backup crew members: Mark Vande Hei of NASA, suited left, Alexander Misurkin of Roscosmos, center, and Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) meet with, Cosmonaut Yuri Gidzenko, left, Cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, Deputy Director, GCTC, Cosmonaut Alexander Kaleri, and John McBrine, NASA Director of Operations, GCTC ahead of the crew's Soyuz qualification exams, Thursday, July 6, 2017 at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia.

jsc2019e039258 - At the Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 60 crewmember Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos (right) tries his hand at a game of ping-pong July 12 as crewmate Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (left) looks on. Skvortsov, Parmitano and Drew Morgan of NASA will launch July 20 on the Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on a mission to the International Space Station...Andrey Shelepin/GCTC.

Expedition 21 Flight Engineer Maxim Suraev, left, answers a reporter's question while looking at Expedition 21 Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams during a press conference, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009 at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Suraev is scheduled to launch onboard a Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) with Williams and Spaceflight Participant Guy Laliberté on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

NASA's Chief Astronaut Kent Rommenger, standing left, talks with Expedition 11 Commander Sergei Krikalev, right, Flight Engineer and NASA Science Officer John Phillips prior to launch aboard the Soyuz TMA-6 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Friday, April 15, 2005, for a two-day trip to the International Space Station.

JSC2008-E-032794 (8 April 2008) --- At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 17 Commander Sergei Volkov (center), Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko (right) and South Korean spaceflight participant So-yeon Yi bid farewell to Anatoly Perminov, the head of the Russian Federal Space Agency on April 8, 2008, prior to heading to the launch pad for their liftoff on the Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft to the International Space Station. Volkov and Kononenko will spend six months on the station, while Yi will spend nine days on the complex under a commercial agreement between South Korea and the Russian Federal Space Agency.

jsc2018e043413 (May 10, 2018) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 56 prime crew member Alexander Gerst signs in for the first of two days of final Soyuz qualification exams May 10. Gerst, Serena Aunon-Chancellor of NASA and Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos will launch June 6 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft for a six-month mission on the International Space Station...NASA/Elizabeth Weissinger.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Two members of the Expedition Three crew arrive at Kennedy Space Centers Shuttle Landing Facility to make final preparations before launch of STS-105. At left is Commander Frank Culbertson, who piloted the T-38 in the background with his passenger cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin (right). The Shuttle crew comprises commander Scott Horowitz, Pilot Rick Sturckow and Mission Specialists Daniel Barry and Patrick Forrester. On mission STS-105, Discovery will be transporting the Expedition Three crew and several payloads and scientific experiments to the International Space Station. The Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS) tank, which will support the thermal control subsystems until a permanent system is activated, will be attached to the Station during two spacewalks. The three-member Expedition Two crew will be returning to Earth aboard Discovery after a five-month stay on the Station. Launch of Discovery on mission STS-105 is scheduled for Aug. 9, 2001

Expedition 59 cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos, reclined left, Nick Hague and Christina Koch of NASA, right, have their Sokol suits pressure checked prior to launch on a Soyuz rocket, Thursday, March 14, 2019 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Hague, Koch, and Ovchinin launched March 14, U.S. time, on the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for a six-and-a-half month mission on the International Space Station.

Expedition 65 crew members NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, left, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, center, and Russian cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov of Roscosmos meet with mission managers ahead of their Soyuz qualification exams, Saturday, March 20, 2021 at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia, in advance of their scheduled launch April 9 from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station.

Kirk Shireman, right, NASA's deputy ISS program manager, answers reporters questions during a Soyuz post-docking press conference at the Russian Mission Control Center in Korolev, Russia on Sunday, April 4, 2010. The Soyuz TMA-18 docked to the International Space Station carrying Expedition 23 Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov, Flight Engineer Mikhail Kornienko and NASA Flight Engineer Tracy Caldwell Dyson.

CG4G8740_1 --- (6 May 2015) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 44/45 backup Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) signs in for the first of two days of qualification exams May 6 as his crewmates, Timothy Peake of the European Space Agency (left) and Timothy Kopra of NASA (right) look on. They are the backups to the prime crew --- Kjell Lindgren of NASA, Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos and Kimya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency --- who are in the final stages of training for launch May 27, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft to begin a five and a half month mission to the International Space Station.

JSC2014-E-024812 (5 March 2014) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 39/40 Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos (right) signs in for final qualification exams March 5 as his crewmate, NASA Flight Engineer Steve Swanson looks on. Skvortsov, Swanson and Flight Engineer Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos are preparing for their launch to the International Space Station from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan March 26, Kazakh time, in their Soyuz TMA-12M spacecraft for a six-month mission.

Expedition 35 Press Conference

From left: Expedition 28 NASA Flight Engineer Mike Fossum, Soyuz Commander Sergei Volkov, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa, NASA backup Flight Engineer Don Pettit, Russian backup Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko, and European Space Agency backup Flight Engineer Andre Kuipers are seen during a press conference, Monday, June 6, 2011, at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The mission is set to launch on Tuesday, June 8, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

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