Astronauts Preparing for Space Launch

Images depict astronauts in Russian Sokol suits undergoing pressure checks at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, highlighting pre-launch preparations for space missions.

PHOTO DATE: 03/22/12LOCATION: JSC NBLSUBJECT: Koichi Wakata during EVA Training at the NBL

Expedition 60 flight engineer Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency) prepares to have his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked in preparation for launch aboard the Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft, Saturday, July 20, 2019 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Parmitano, Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos, and Andrew Morgan of NASA launched aboard the Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft at 12:28 p.m. Eastern time (9:28 p.m. Baikonur time) on July 20 to begin their journey to the International Space Station.

Expedition 51 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of Roscosmos is helped up after having his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked in preparation for launch aboard the Soyuz MS-04 spacecraft on Thursday, April 20, 2017, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for 1:13pm April 20 Baikonur time, and will carry Yurchikhin and fellow crewmate, Flight Engineer Jack Fischer of NASA into orbit to begin their four and a half month mission on the International Space Station.

Expedition 43 Russian Cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) prepares to have his Russian sokol suit pressure checked ahead of his launch onboard the Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft to the International Space Station with fellow crew mates NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly, center, and Russian Cosmonaut Gennady Padalka Friday, March 27, 2015 in Baikonor, Kazakhstan. Kelly, Padalka, and Kornienko launched to the ISS 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.

Expedition 41 Soyuz Commander Alexander Samokutyaev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked in preparation for his launch onboard the Soyuz TMA-14M spacecraft on Thursday, September 25, 2014 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Soyuz spacecraft with Samokutyaev, Expedition 41 Flight Engineer Elena Serova of Roscosmos and Flight Engineer Barry Wilmore of NASA is scheduled to launch at 2:25 a.m. Kazakhstan Time on Friday, September 26.

Expedition 64 Russian cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of Roscosmos is seen as his Russian Sokol suit is pressure checked as he and fellow crewmates Sergey Ryzhikov of Roscosmos and Kate Rubins of NASA prepare for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The trio launched at 1:45 a.m. EDT to begin a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

Expedition 41 Flight Engineer Elena Serova of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) has her Russian Sokol suit pressure checked in preparation for her launch onboard the Soyuz TMA-14M spacecraft on Thursday, September 25, 2014, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Soyuz spacecraft with Serova, Expedition 41 Soyuz Commander Alexander Samokutyaev of Roscosmos and Flight Engineer Barry WIlmore of NASA is scheduled to launch at 2:25 a.m. Kazakhstan Time on Friday, September 26. Serova will become the fourth Russian woman to fly in space and the first Russian woman to live and work on the station.

JSC2010-E-187202 (22 Nov. 2010) --- NASA astronaut Rex Walheim, STS-135 mission specialist, dons a training version of his Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit in preparation for a spacewalk training session in the waters of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near NASA's Johnson Space Center. STS-135 is planned to be the final mission of the space shuttle program.

PHOTO DATE: 03/22/12LOCATION: JSC NBLSUBJECT: Koichi Wakata during EVA Training at the NBL

Expedition 65 prime crew member NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, dons his Sokol Suit during a fit check to prepare for launch with fellow Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos and Pyotr Dubrov of Roscosmos, Saturday, March 27, 2021 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. They are scheduled to launch on a Soyuz rocket April 9.

Expedition 51 Flight Engineer Jack Fischer of NASA has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked in preparation for launch aboard the Soyuz MS-04 spacecraft on Thursday, April 20, 2017 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for 1:13 p.m. April 20 Baikonur time, and will carry Fischer and crewmate Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of Roscosmos into orbit to begin their four and a half month mission on the International Space Station.

12-35-20:At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 40/41 Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency poses for a picture as he undergoes leak and pressure checks on his Russian Sokol launch and entry suit May 16 during a dress rehearsal fit check”. Gerst, Soyuz Commander Max Suraev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and Flight Engineer Reid Wiseman of NASA will launch from Baikonur on May 29, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft for a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station.NASA/Victor Zelentsov

Expedition 7 Commander Yuri I. Malenchenko has a leak check performed on his Russian Sokol suit in the Soyuz Integration Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Thursday, April 10, 2003.

At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 59 crewmember Christina Koch of NASA undergoes a Sokol launch suit pressure check Feb. 27 during pre-launch training. Koch, Nick Hague of NASA and Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos will launch March 14, U.S. time, on the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a six-and-a-half month mission on the International Space Station.NASA/Victor Zelentsov

Expedition 58 Flight Engineer David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked in preparation for his 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 Saint-Jacques, Flight Engineer Anne McClain of NASA, and Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos into orbit to begin their six and a half month mission on the International Space Station.

Expedition 41 Soyuz Commander Alexander Samokutyaev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked in preparation for his launch onboard the Soyuz TMA-14M spacecraft on Thursday, September 25, 2014 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Soyuz spacecraft with Samokutyaev, Expedition 41 Flight Engineer Elena Serova of Roscosmos and Flight Engineer Barry Wilmore of NASA is scheduled to launch at 2:25 a.m. Kazakhstan Time on Friday, September 26.

JSC2010-E-181461 (27 Oct. 2010) --- Attired in a training version of her Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit, NASA astronaut Sandy Magnus, STS-135 mission specialist, is about to be submerged in the waters of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near NASA's Johnson Space Center. Divers (out of frame) are in the water to assist Magnus in her rehearsal, which is intended to help prepare her for work on the exterior of the International Space Station. STS-135 is planned to be the final mission of the space shuttle program.

Expedition 51 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of Roscosmos has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked in preparation for launch aboard the Soyuz MS-04 spacecraft on Thursday, April 20, 2017 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for 1:13 p.m. April 20 Baikonur time, and will carry Yurchikhin and crewmate Flight Engineer Jack Fischer of NASA into orbit to begin their four and a half month mission on the International Space Station.

jsc2017e096661 (July 17, 2017) --- In the Integration Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 52-53 crewmember Paolo Nespoli of the European Space Agency undergoes a leak check of his Russian Sokol launch and entry suit during a fit check dress rehearsal July 17. Nespoli, Randy Bresnik of NASA and Sergey Ryazanskiy of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) will launch July 28 on the Soyuz MS-05 spacecraft for a five-month mission on the International Space Station.

Expedition 37/38 Russian Flight Engineer Sergey Ryazanskiy is fitted into his Russian Sokol suit as he and fellow crewmates NASA Flight Engineer Michael Hopkins and Soyuz Commander Oleg Kotov prepare for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station, on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2013, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Ryazanskiy, Hopkins and Kotov on a five-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

Expedition 65 prime crew member Mark Vande Hei of NASA is assisted with his glove during a Sokol suit pressure check to prepare for launch with crew mates Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos and Pyotr Dubrov of Roscosmos, Saturday, March 27, 2021 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. They are scheduled to launch on a Soyuz rocket April 9.

Expedition 34 astronaut crew members Chris Hadfield and Tom Marshburn during INC-34/CB ISS EVA 2 91027. Photo Date: December 7, 2011. Location: NBL - Pool Topside.

PHOTO DATE: 20 July 2012LOCATION: Bldg. 7, SSATA ChamberSUBJECT: Expedition 34/35 astronaut Tom Marshburn during SSATA EMU training and certification - Dry Run. Test Directors Gretchen Thomas, Christina Anchondo and Joel Maganza. STB-ST-962

Expedition 55 Soyuz Commander Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos is helped into his Russian Sokol suit as he and fellow crewmates, flight engineers Ricky Arnold and Drew Feustel of NASA prepare for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station, Wednesday, March 21, 2018 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Artemyev, Arnold, and Feustel launched aboard the Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft at 1:44 p.m. Eastern time (11:44 p.m. Baikonur time) on March 21 to begin their journey to the International Space Station.

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, 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.

JSC2008-E-124037 (20 Oct. 2008) --- Astronaut Tom Marshburn, STS-127 mission specialist, gets help with the donning of a training version of his Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit in preparation for a training session in the waters of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near NASA's Johnson Space Center.

Expedition 25 Soyuz Commander Alexander Kaleri has his Russian Sokol Suit pressure checked at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Friday, Oct. 8, 2010. (

Expedition 70 Preflight. Expedition 70 NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara dons her Russian Sokol suit as she and fellow crewmates, Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub, prepare for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The launch will send Expedition 70 NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara and Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub on a mission to the International Space Station.

Expedition 34 astronaut crew members Chris Hadfield and Tom Marshburn during INC-34/CB ISS EVA 2 91027. Photo Date: December 7, 2011. Location: NBL - Pool Topside.

Expedition 25 NASA Flight Engineer Scott Kelly of the U.S. has his Russian Sokol suit prepared for launch by a technician at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Friday, Oct. 8, 2010. Kelly and fellow Expedition 25 crew members Soyuz Commander Alexander Kaleri and Flight Engineer Oleg Skripochka launched in their Soyuz TMA-01M at 5:10 a.m. Friday morning. (

Expedition 28 Soyuz Commander Sergei Volkov has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked in preparation for his launch to the International Space Station, Tuesday, June 7, 2011 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Soyuz spacecraft will launch the following morning on June 8 carrying Volkov, NASA Flight Engineer Mike Fossum and JAXA (Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency) Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa.

PHOTO DATE: 09-30-09LOCATION: NBL, TopsideSUBJECT: STS-132 Preflight Training - DiveWith Garret Reisman, Mike Goode and Stephen Bowen

Expedition 25 Flight Engineer Oleg Skripochka has his Russian Sokol Suit pressure checked at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Friday, Oct. 8, 2010. (

Expedition 33/34 Flight Engineer Kevin Ford is helped into his Russian Sokol suit as he and fellow cremates, Soyuz Commander Oleg Novitskiy, and Flight Engineer Evgeny Tarelkin prepare for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station, on Tuesday, October 23, 2012, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Ford, Novitskiy and Tarelkin on a five-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

PHOTO DATE: 04-23-13LOCATION: NBL - Pool Topside SUBJECT: Astronaut Expedition 39/40 (Soyuz 38) astronaut Steve Swanson during ISS Maintenance EVAAT at the NBL.

Expedition 36 European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked ahead of his launch onboard a Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to the International Space Station, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Parmitano, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

PHOTO DATE: 09-30-09LOCATION: NBL, TopsideSUBJECT: STS-132 Preflight Training - DiveWith Garret Reisman, Mike Goode and Stephen Bowen

PHOTO DATE: 09-17-13LOCATION: NBL - Pool Topside SUBJECT: Expedition 40/41 crew members Greg Wiseman and Alexander Gerst during pre-dive briefing, preparations and suitup, then lowering into the water.

jsc2020e017077 - Expedition 63 Preflight - Expedition 63 crewmember Chris Cassidy of NASA dons his Sokol suit a few hours ahead of his launch on a Soyuz rocket with Ivan Vagner and Anatoly Ivanishin of Roscosmos, Thursday, April 9, 2020 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. A few hours later, they lifted off for a six-and-a-half month mission on the International Space Station.

Expedition 10 Commander and NASA Science Officer Leroy Chiao, right, Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander Salizhan Sharipov donned their launch and entry suits and climbed aboard their Soyuz TMA-5 spacecraft Friday, October 5, 2004, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a dress rehearsal of launch day activities leading to their liftoff October 14 to the International Space Station. Chiao and Sharipov, the first crew of all-Asian extraction, will spend six months on the Station. Shargin will return to Earth October 24 with the Stations' current residents, Expedition 9 Commander Gennady Padalka and NASA Flight Engineer and Science Officer Mike Fincke.

Flight Engineer Joe Acaba has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked in preparation for his launch onboard the Soyuz TMA-04M on Tuesday, May 15, 2012 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Soyuz spacecraft with Acaba, Expedition 31 Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka, and Flight Engineer Sergei Revin onboard, launched at 9:01 a.m. Kazakhstan time on Tuesday, May 15.

JSC2012-E-226828 (24 Oct. 2012) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata, Expedition 38 flight engineer and Expedition 39 commander, gets help donning a training version of his Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit in preparation for a spacewalk training session in the waters of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near NASA's Johnson Space Center. NASA astronaut Mike Foreman is at right.

Expedition 27 Russian Flight Engineer Andrey Borisenko has his Russian Sokol suit prepared for launch by a technician at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Tuesday, April 5, 2011. Borisenko, Soyuz Commander Alexander Samokutyaev and NASA Flight Engineer Ron Garan launched in their Soyuz TMA-21 rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 4:18 a.m. local time. (

PHOTO DATE: 11-06-08LOCATION: NBL POOLSIDESUBJECT: HUBBLE crew members Michael J. Massimino and Michael T. Good during EVA training at the NBL

Expedition 54 flight engineer Scott Tingle of NASA has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked in preparation for launch aboard the Soyuz MS-07 spacecraft, Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Tingle and fellow crewmates Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos and flight engineer Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on a five month mission aboard the International Space Station.

JSC2007-E-113486 (17 Dec. 2007) --- Astronaut Andrew J. Feustel, STS-125 mission specialist, dons a training version of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit prior to being submerged in the waters of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near the Johnson Space Center. Astronaut Michael T. Good, mission specialist, assisted Feustel.

Expedition 65 backup crew members NASA astronaut Anne McClain, left, Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos, center, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos arrive for Soyuz qualification exams Monday, March 22, 2021, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia, in advance of the Expedition 65 launch April 9 from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station.

PHOTO DATE: 28 January 2011, LOCATION: NBL - Pool Topside, SUBJECT: STS-133 Crew members Steve Bowen and Benjamin Drew during EVA 2 training with Mike Barratt and Nicole Stott assisting.

jsc2019e030012 (05-22-19) --- 2017 NASA astronaut candidate Jessica Watkins is helped into a spacesuit prior to underwater spacewalk training at NASA Johnson Space Centers Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston.

Expedition 55 Soyuz Commander Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos prepares to have his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked in preparation for launch aboard the Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft, Wednesday, March 21, 2018 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Artemyev and flight engineers Ricky Arnold and Drew Feustel of NASA launched aboard the Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft at 1:44 p.m. Eastern time (11:44 p.m. Baikonur time) on March 21 to begin their journey to the International Space Station.

Expedition 34/35 Soyuz NASA Flight Engineer Tom Marshburn is helped into his Russian Sokol suit as he and fellow cremates, Soyuz Commander Roman Romanenko and Flight Engineer Chris Hadfield prepare for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station, 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.

Expedition 42/43 (Soyuz 41S) crew member and ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti during ISS EVA Maintenance 9 (Maintenance 8) along with Astronaut Jeanette Epps. Photo Date: September 16, 2014. Location: NBL - Pool Topside.

PHOTO DATE: 03-23-10LOCATION: Bldg 9NW, CCTIISUBJECT: STS-133 crew during CCTII Post Insertion/Deorbit Prep training

JSC2012-E-208833 (15 Aug. 2012) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata, Expedition 38 flight engineer and Expedition 39 commander, awaits the start of a spacewalk training session in the waters of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near NASA's Johnson Space Center. Wakata is wearing a training version of his Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit.

Expedition 35 Russian Flight Engineer Alexander Misurkin has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked ahead of his launch onboard a Soyuz TMA-08M spacecraft to the International Space Station, Thursday, March 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Misurkin, Soyuz Commander Pavel Vinogradov and NASA Flight Engineer Chris Cassidy on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

Date: 11-07-12Location: NBL - Pool TopsideSubject: Expedition 40 crew members (Soyuz 39) Reid Wiseman and ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst during INC-40 ISS EVA ORU PRF 41027.

Expedition 10 Commander and NASA Science Officer Leroy Chiao, right, Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander Salizhan Sharipov donned their launch and entry suits and climbed aboard their Soyuz TMA-5 spacecraft Friday, October 5, 2004, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a dress rehearsal of launch day activities leading to their liftoff October 14 to the International Space Station. Chiao and Sharipov, the first crew of all-Asian extraction, will spend six months on the Station. Shargin will return to Earth October 24 with the Stations' current residents, Expedition 9 Commander Gennady Padalka and NASA Flight Engineer and Science Officer Mike Fincke.

Expedition 33 crew members Sunita Williams and Aki Hoshide during NBL EVA training. Photo Date: January 11, 2012. Location: NBL - Pool Topside.

SSATA Crew Training with Expedition 35/36 crew member Chris Cassidy during dry run. Photo Date: October 30, 2012. Location: Building 7, SSATA Chamber.

Expedition 64 NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, back, and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov, middle, and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of Roscosmos are seen inside the Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft during a fit check, Monday, Sept. 28, 2020, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The trio are preparing for launch to the International Space Station in their Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on October 14, Baikonur time.

JSC2007-E-113591 (18 Dec. 2007) --- Astronaut Michael J. Massimino, STS-125 mission specialist, gets help in the donning of a training version of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit prior to being submerged in the waters of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near the Johnson Space Center.

Expedition 65 backup crew members NASA astronaut Anne McClain, left, Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos, center, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos arrive for Soyuz qualification exams Monday, March 22, 2021, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia, in advance of the Expedition 65 launch April 9 from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station.

JSC2002-E-37426 (6 September 2002) --- Astronaut Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn-Piper, STS-115 mission specialist, is submerged in the waters of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). Stefanyshyn-Piper is wearing the training version of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) space suit. SCUBA-equipped divers are in the water to assist the astronauts in their rehearsal, intended to help prepare them for work on the exterior of the International Space Station (ISS).

Expedition 65 backup crew member NASA astronaut Anne McClain signs in for Soyuz qualification exams while Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos, left, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos look on, Saturday, March 20, 2021 at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia, in advance of the Expedition 65 launch April 9 from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station.

PHOTO DATE: 11-06-08LOCATION: NBL POOLSIDESUBJECT: HUBBLE crew members Michael J. Massimino and Michael T. Good during EVA training at the NBL

jsc2018e050003 - In the Integration Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 56 crewmember Serena Aunon-Chancellor of NASA poses for pictures May 20 as she prepares to board the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft for the first fit check dress rehearsal activities. Aunon-Chancellor, Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos and Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency will launch June 6 on the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft from Baikonur for a six-month mission on the International Space Station...NASA/Victor Zelentsov.

NASA/Victor Zelentsov

A test operator in clean-room garb observes rolling of the wheels during the first drive test of NASA's Curiosity rover, on July 23, 2010. Technicians and engineers conducted the drive test at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

Expedition 59 cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos prepares to have his Sokol suit pressure checked a few hours ahead of his launch on a Soyuz rocket with Nick Hague and Christina Koch of NASA, 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 70 Preflight. Expedition 70 NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara, left, Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, center, and Nikolai Chub dons their Russian Sokol suit as they prepare for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The launch will send Expedition 70 NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara and Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub on a mission to the International Space Station.

12-34-36:At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 40/41 Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency undergoes leak and pressure checks on his Russian Sokol launch and entry suit May 16 during a dress rehearsal fit check”. Gerst, Soyuz Commander Max Suraev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and Flight Engineer Reid Wiseman of NASA will launch from Baikonur on May 29, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft for a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station.NASA/Victor Zelentsov

Expedition 70 Preflight. Expedition 70 Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, left, NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara, center, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Nikolai Chub, have their Russian Sokol Suits pressure checked ahead of their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station Friday, Sept. 15, 2023 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The launch will send Expedition 70 NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara and Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub on a mission to the International Space Station.

jsc2018e035780 (04-12-20180 --- Canadian Space Agency astronaut candidate Joshua Kutryk is being helped into a spacesuit prior to underwater spacewalk training at NASA Johnson Space Centers Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory.

In the Integration Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 35-36 Flight Engineer Chris Cassidy of NASA conducts a leak check of his Russian Sokol launch and entry suit March 17 as he runs through a systems dress rehearsal called a fit check” Cassidy, Soyuz Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Alexander Misurkin are preparing for launch to the International Space Station from Baikonur on March 29, Kazakh time.NASA/Victor Zelentsov

JSC2010-E-181455 (27 Oct. 2010) --- NASA astronaut Sandy Magnus, STS-135 mission specialist, gets help donning a training version of her Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit in preparation for a spacewalk training session in the waters of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near NASA's Johnson Space Center. NASA astronaut Chris Ferguson, commander, assisted Magnus. STS-135 is planned to be the final mission of the space shuttle program.

Commercial Crew Program astronaut training with Boeing PCM crew members Suni Williams & Josh Cassada during ISS EVA Maintenance 1 training at the NBL.

Expedition 65 crew members Russian cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov of Roscosmos, left, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, center, and NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, pose for a photo during 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.

Expedition 65 backup crew members NASA astronaut Anne McClain, left, Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos, center, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos arrive for Soyuz qualification exams Monday, March 22, 2021, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia, in advance of the Expedition 65 launch April 9 from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station.

PHOTO DATE: 03-31-10LOCATION: Bldg 9NW, FFTSUBJECT: STS-133 crew during Payload Egress training in Full Fuselage Trainer (FFT) with instructors Bob Behrendsen and Adam Flagan

Expedition 34/35 Soyuz Commander Roman Romanenko is helped into his Russian Sokol suit as he and fellow cremates, Flight Engineer Tom Marshburn and Flight Engineer Chris Hadfield prepare for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station, on Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Romanenko, Marshburn and Hadfield on a five-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 59 crewmember Nick Hague of NASA undergoes a Sokol launch suit pressure check Feb. 27 during pre-launch training. Hague, Christina Koch of NASA and Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos will launch March 14, U.S. time, on the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a six-and-a-half month mission on the International Space Station.NASA/Victor Zelentsov

Expedition 60 Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos is helped into his Russian Sokol suit as he and fellow cremates Andrew Morgan of NASA and Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency) prepare for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station Saturday, July 20, 2019 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Skvortsov, Andrew Morgan of NASA, and Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency) launched aboard the Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft at 12:28 p.m. Eastern time (9:28 p.m. Baikonur time) on July 20 to begin their journey to the orbiting laboratory.

S98-08195 (March 1998) --- Standing on a mobile platform, astronaut Catherine G. Coleman is assisted with final touches for suiting up for a training exercise in the deep pool ofJSC's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL).Coleman was participating in a simulation of a contingency space walkin preparation for the STS-93 mission next year. The mission specialist will join four other NASA astronauts for the Space Shuttle Columbia flight, scheduled for spring. The training version of the extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) that Coleman is wearing isweighted and otherwise accommodated to afford neutral buoyancy in the deep pool.

STS-129 crew members Mike Foreman, Randy Bresnik, Barry 'Butch' Wilmore and Robert Satcher prepare for 20A EVA Review dive at the NBL. Photo Date: March 26, 2009. Location - NBL Pool Topside and Control Room.

Crew-4 astronauts Jessica Watkins, Bob Hines, Samantha Cristoforetti, and Kjell Lindgren form a huddle after walking out through the double doors below the Neil A. Armstrong Buildings Astronaut Crew Quarters at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 27, 2022. They are making their way to the customized Tesla Model X cars that will take them to their spacecraft at Launch Complex 39A. SpaceXs Crew Dragon, powered by the companys Falcon 9 rocket, will carry the four-person crew to the International Space Station as part of NASAs Commercial Crew Program. Crew-4 is scheduled to launch today at 3:52 a.m. EDT, from Pad 39A at Kennedy.

jsc2018e035915 (April 11, 2018) --- 2017 NASA astronaut candidate Jasmin Moghbeli is helped into a spacesuit prior to underwater spacewalk training at NASA Johnson Space Centers Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory.

Expedition 54 Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked in preparation for launch aboard the Soyuz MS-07 spacecraft, Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Shkaplerov and fellow crewmates flight engineer Scott Tingle of NASA and flight engineer Norishige Kanai of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on a five month mission aboard the International Space Station.

Expedition 42/43 ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti during preparations for EMU Certification Altitude Run. Photo Date: September 22, 2014. Location: Bldg. 7, 11 foot chamber.

jsc2018e049994 - In the Integration Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 56 crewmember Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency (right) suits up May 20 for the first Soyuz fit check dress rehearsal activities as his crewmate, Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos looks on. Gerst, Prokopyev and Serena Aunon-Chancellor of NASA will launch June 6 on the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft from Baikonur for a six-month mission on the International Space Station...NASA/Victor Zelentsov.

PHOTO DATE: 11-21-12LOCATION: NBL - Pool Topside SUBJECT: Expedition 42/43 crew member and Italian ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti with NASA astronaut Terry Virts during INC-42/CB EVA SKILLS 21027.

jsc2018e007775 - At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 55 crewmember Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos (left) signs in Feb. 21 for the final day of crew qualification exams as crewmates Ricky Arnold of NASA (center) and Drew Feustel of NASA (right) look on. They will launch March 21 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on the Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft for a five-month mission on the International Space Station...Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center/Andrey Shelepin and Irina Spektor .

PHOTO DATE: 05-04-10LOCATION:NBL TOPSIDESUBJECT: Satoshi Furukawa and Aki Hoshide during their EVA Skills for training at the NBLWORK ORDER:1327-NBLJAXA-05-04-10

Expedition 26 crew members Cady Coleman and Paolo Nespoli during ISS EVA PRF 41027 training in the NBL. Photo Date: September 21, 2010. Location: NBL - Pool Topside.

Expedition 65 NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, left, is helped into his Russian Sokol suit as he and fellow crewmates Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy, center, and Pyotr Dubrov prepare for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station Friday, April 9, 2021 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket sent the trio on a mission to the International Space Station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, Robonaut 2, or R2, is prepared for its lift and installation in a launch box called SLEEPR, or Structural Launch Enclosure to Effectively Protect Robonaut. R2 will fly to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Discovery on the STS-133 mission. Although it will initially only participate in operational tests, upgrades could eventually allow the robot to realize its true purpose -- helping spacewalking astronauts with tasks outside the space station.

Expedition 65 prime crew member Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos has his Sokol suit pressure checked while fellow crew mates, NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, right, and Russian cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov of Roscosmos look on, during a fit check to prepare for launch, Saturday, March 27, 2021 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. They are scheduled to launch on a Soyuz rocket April 9.

Expedition 36 NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg is helped into her Russian Sokol suit as she and fellow crewmates, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano prepare for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Nyberg, Yurchikhin and Parmitano on a five and a half month mission aboard the International Space Station.

jsc2018e095924 (November 7, 2018) --- 2017 NASA astronaut candidate Jonny Kim prepares for underwater spacewalk training at NASA Johnson Space Centers Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston.

Expedition 65 backup crew members NASA astronaut Anne McClain, left, Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos, center, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos arrive for Soyuz qualification exams Saturday, March 20, 2021 at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia, in advance of the Expedition 65 launch April 9 from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station.

JSC2011-E-026902 (11 March 2011) --- NASA astronaut Rex Walheim, STS-135 mission specialist, participates in an Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit fit check in the Space Station Airlock Test Article (SSATA) in the Crew Systems Laboratory at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

STS-132 crew members Garrett Reisman and Stephen Bowen during preparations for STS-132 ULF4 EVA 1 training. Photo Date: February 8, 2010. Location: NBL - Pool Topside.

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