Astronauts Preparing for Space Missions

Images of astronauts in training at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Kazakhstan, showcasing preparations, simulations, and traditional practices before their launch to 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, left, are seen in quarantine, behind glass, during a press conference, 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 December 17.

From left to right, Expedition 65 prime crew members NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, and Pyotr Dubrov of Roscosmos are seen behind glass for quarantine with Expedition 65 backup crew members Russian cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos, Anton Shkaplerov, and NASA astronaut Anne McClain, after a fit check in preparation for launch of the prime crew, Saturday, March 27, 2021 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. They are scheduled to launch on a Soyuz rocket April 9.

Expedition 42 Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) performs the traditional door signing at the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to departing the hotel for launch in a Soyuz rocket with fellow crewmates, Flight Engineers Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (ESA) and Terry Virts of NASA, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for the early hours of Nov. 24 Kazakhstan time and will carry Shkaplerov, Cristoforetti, and Virts into orbit to begin their five and a half month mission on the International Space Station.

In the Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 36/37 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin (center) practices a Soyuz docking on a laptop simulator May 22 as he, NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg (left) and Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (right) prepare for their launch May 29, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to begin a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station.NASA/Victor Zelentsov

jsc2018e097764 - At their Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 58 backup crewmembers Drew Morgan of NASA (second from left), Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos (second from right) and Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (right) review flight procedures with a training instructor Nov. 27 as part of their pre-launch training. They are the backups to Anne McClain of NASA, Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos and David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency who 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 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, are seen in quarantine, behind glass, 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.

Expedition 65 backup crew members NASA astronaut Anne McClain, second from left, and Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov, center, and Oleg Artemyev, right, of Roscosmos review launch procedures with trainers, 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.

NASA Astronaut Office Representative, astronaut Drew Feustel is 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.

Expedition 43 NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly, seated left, Russian Cosmonauts Gennady Padalka, center, and Mikhail Kornienko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), work on Soyuz training, Saturday, March 21, 2015 at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Kelly, Padalka, and Kornienko are preparing for launch to the International Space Station in their 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.

Expedition 40 prime crew members Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency, ESA, far left, Soyuz Commander Maxim Suraev of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, second left, and Flight Engineer Reid Wiseman of NASA, center, are seen with Expedition 40 backup crew members Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA, third right, Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of ESA during a press conference, Tuesday, May 27, 2014, at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The mission to the International Space Station is set to launch May 29 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

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, left, are seen in quarantine, behind glass, during a press conference, 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 December 17.

At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, backup Expedition 36/37 crewmember Rick Mastracchio of NASA signs in for qualification exams May 6 as he, Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (far left) and Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin support the prime crewmembers preparing for launch to the International Space Station. The prime crew, NASAs Karen Nyberg, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency 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.NASA/Stephanie Stoll

Expedition 42 prime crew members, Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA (left), Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) (center), and Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti (right) of the European Space Agency are seen during a press conference held at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2014. The mission is set to launch Nov. 24 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Expedition 22 backup crew members, from left, NASAs Doug Wheelock, Russian Anton Shkaplerov and Japans Satoshi Furakawa are seen during 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.

Expedition 59 prime crew members Christina Koch of NASA, left, Alexey Ovchinin of Roscsmos, and Nick Hague of NASA, right, answer questions during a press conference, Wednesday, March 13, 2019 at the Cosmonaut Hotel 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 60 Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos is blessed by a Russian Orthodox Priest in the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to departing for launch on a Soyuz rocket with fellow crewmates Andrew Morgan of NASA 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.

Expedition 35 Press Conference

Expedition 49 flight engineer Shane Kimbrough of NASA, left, Soyuz commander Sergey Ryzhikov of Roscosmos, center, and flight engineer Andrey Borisenko of Roscosmos, right, attend a training briefing 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.

The 2017 class of astronaut candidates are inside the Space Station Processing Facility high bay during a familiarization tour of facilities at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. They are viewing the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion System for NASA's Space Launch System rocket. The candidates toured center facilities, including the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay; the Launch Control Center, Launch Pad 39B, and the Vehicle Assembly Building. They also toured Boeing's Commercial Crew and Cargo Facility, United Launch Alliance's Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and SpaceX's Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy. The candidates will spend about two years getting to know the space station systems and learning how to spacewalk, speak Russian, control the International Space Station's robotic arm and fly T-38s, before they're eligible to be assigned to a mission.

jsc2019e035259 - At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 60 crewmembers Drew Morgan of NASA (left), Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos (center) and Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (right) respond to reporters questions June 26 during final qualification exams. They will launch July 20 on the Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a mission on the International Space Station...NASA/Beth Weissinger.

1881:At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 41/42 Flight Engineer Barry Wilmore of NASA (center) signs in at the start of final qualification exams September 3 as his crewmates, Alexander Samokutyaev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, left) and Elena Serova of Roscosmos (right) look on. They will launch September 26 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-14M spacecraft for a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station. Serova will become only the fourth Russian woman to fly in space and the first Russian woman to conduct a long duration mission on the station.NASA/Stephanie Stoll

Marcos Pontes, left, Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member; Michael Fincke, backup crew member; Jeffrey N. Williams, Expedition 13 Science Officer and Flight Engineer; and Pavel V. Vinogradov, right, Commander, train at building 254 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan days before launch to the International Space Station. Sunday, March 26, 2006.

At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, backup Expedition 34/35 crewmember Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (right) shares a moment of conversation with prime crewmembers Flight Engineer Tom Marshburn of NASA (left) and Soyuz Commander Roman Romanenko (center) during a fit check” dress rehearsal Dec. 7, 2012. Marshburn, Romanenko and Flight Engineer Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency are preparing for launch Dec. 19 in the Soyuz TMA-07M spacecraft for a five-month mission on the International Space Station.

Expedition 70 Press Conference. Expedition 70 prime crew NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara, left, Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, and Nikolai Chub, along with backup crew members Tracy Dyson and Alexey Ovchinin, right, pose for a group photograph while in quarantine behind glass during a press conference, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023 at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. O'Hara, Kononenko, and Chub are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft on Sept. 15.

jsc2017e137340 - At their Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 54-55 backup crewmembers Jeanette Epps of NASA (left), Sergey Prokopyev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, center) and Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency (right) conduct rendezvous and docking runs on a laptop computer simulator Dec. 11. They are serving as backups to Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos and Scott Tingle of NASA who will launch Dec. 17 on the Soyuz MS-07 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for a five month mission on the International Space Station...Andrey Shelepin / Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.

1910:At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 41/42 prime crewmembers Alexander Samokutyaev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (left), Elena Serova of Roscosmos (center) and NASAs Barry Wilmore (right) listen to instructions from officials September 3 at the start of final qualification exams. They will launch September 26 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-14M spacecraft for a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station. Serova will become only the fourth Russian woman to fly in space and the first Russian woman to conduct a long duration mission on the station.NASA/Stephanie Stoll

Seated left to right, Expedition 38 Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos, and, Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA are seen through glass along with backup crew members, standing behind them from left, Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency, Russian cosmonaut Max Suraev, and, Reid Wiseman of NASA as they have prepare to 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.

11-20-51: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) review flight procedures with Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center instructors 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 57 Flight Engineer Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos walks with Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Rogozin, left, to the Soyuz MS-10 spacecraft for launch, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. During the Soyuz spacecraft's climb to orbit, an anomaly occurred, resulting in an abort downrange. The crew was quickly recovered and is in good condition.

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 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 rendezvous techniques through the use of laptop computers 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

At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 39/40 Flight Engineer Steve Swanson of NASA (center) signs in for the start of qualification exams March 4 as his crewmates, Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos (left) and Flight Engineer Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos (right) look on. The trio is preparing for launch to the International Space Station from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on March 26, Kazakh time in their Soyuz TMA-12M spacecraft for a six-month mission.NASA/Stephanie Stoll

American spaceflight participant Richard Garriott, left, dons his Russian Sokol suit hours before he and Flight Engineer Yuri V. Lonchakov, second from left, and Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke launch in the Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The three crew members are scheduled to dock with the International Space Station on Oct. 14. Fincke and Lonchakov will spend six months on the station, while Garriott will return to Earth Oct. 24 with two of the Expedition 17 crew members currently on the International Space Station.

At their Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, the Expedition 32/33 backup crew members participate in a rendezvous and docking practice session using laptop computer simulators July 9, 2012 as they train for support of the prime crews launch July 15 to the International Space Station in the Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft. From left to right with their instructors are backup Flight Engineer Tom Marshburn of NASA, backup Soyuz Commander Roman Romanenko and backup Flight Engineer Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency.NASA/Victor Zelentsov

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- As part of In-Flight Maintenance training at SPACEHAB, in Cape Canaveral, Fla., members of the STS-107 crew learn about Biological Research in Canisters (BRIC) experiments that will be on their mission. From left Commander Rick D. Husband and Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon of Israel look over paperwork. Mission Specialists David M. Brown and Michael Anderson (center) look at the way Debbie Wells of Bionetics manipulates part of the equipment. STS-107 will carry a broad collection of experiments ranging from material science to life science. It is scheduled to launch July 19, 2001

At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 59 crewmember Nick Hague of NASA signs in for the start of two days of final pre-launch qualification exams Feb. 19. Hague, Christina Koch of NASA and Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos 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

jsc2018e085892 (Oct. 3, 2018) --- Expedition 57 backup crew members Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos, left, and David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency, right, review training documents with a Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center instructor as they prepare for their upcoming launch, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018 at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos and Nick Hague of NASA are scheduled to launch on Oct. 11 onboard the Soyuz MS-10 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a six-month mission on the International Space Station.

Expedition 65 backup crew member, Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos signs in 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.

Expedition 28 NASA Flight Engineer Mike Fossum, left, looks on as Soyuz Commander Sergei Volkov speaks 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.

American spaceflight participant Richard Garriott, left, Expedition 18 Flight Engineer Yuri V. Lonchakov and Commander Michael Fincke, right, don their Russian Sokol suits hours before the launch in the Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The three crew members are scheduled to dock with the International Space Station on Oct. 14. Fincke and Lonchakov will spend six months on the station, while Garriott will return to Earth Oct. 24 with two of the Expedition 17 crew members currently on the International Space Station.

Expedition 11 Commander Sergei Krikalev, left, European Space Agency astronaut Roberto Vittori, of Italy, Flight Engineer John Phillips, third from left, along with their backups, Russian Commander Mikhail Tyurin, American Dan Tani and Robert Thirsk, of Canada, far right, participate in the traditional raising of their countries flags outside their crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan on Monday, April 11, 2005, during preparations for the April 15 launch on a Soyuz TMA-6 spacecraft to the International Space Station. Krikalev and Phillips will spend six months in space and greet the first Shuttle crew to fly in more than two years when it arrives at the station, while Vittori spends eight days on the station under a commercial contract between ESA and the Russian Federal Space Agency.

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.

Expedition 65 prime crew members NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, left, Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, center, and Pyotr Dubrov of Roscosmos, are seen during a fit check to prepare for their launch Saturday, March 27, 2021 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. They are scheduled to launch on a Soyuz rocket April 9.

jsc2018e095176 - At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 58 crewmember David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency signs in for the final day of qualification exams Nov. 14. Saint-Jacques, Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos and Anne McClain of NASA 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/Sarah Volkman.

Expedition 57 Flight Engineer Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos, left, is blessed by a Russian Orthodox Priest in the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to departing for launch on a Soyuz rocket with Flight Engineer Nick Hague of NASA, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. During the Soyuz spacecraft's climb to orbit, an anomaly occurred, resulting in an abort downrange. The crew was quickly recovered and is in good condition.

Expedition 65 NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, left, Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov, along with backup crew members Anne McClain of NASA, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Oleg Artemyev, right, are seen in quarantine, behind glass, during a press conference, Thursday, April 8, 2021 a the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The prime crew is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft on April 9.

Technicians work on the Russian Sokol suits of Expedition 11 Flight Engineer and NASA Science Officer John Phillips, far left, and Commander Sergei Krikalev and European Space Agency astronaut Roberto Vittori, of Italy, right, prior to launch aboard the Soyuz TMA-6 spacecraft at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 15, 2005 for a two-day trip to the International Space Station.

Quarantined Expedition 32 prime crew members, from left, JAXA Flight Engineer Akihiko Hoshide, Russian Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko, NASA Flight Engineer Sunita Williams wave goodbye from behind glass during a prelaunch press conference held at the Cosmonaut Hotel on Friday, July 13, 2012 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The launch of the Soyuz spacecraft with Malenchenko, Williams and Hoshide is scheduled for 8:40 a.m. local time on Sunday, July 15.

At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 37/38 Soyuz Commander Oleg Kotov signs in for a round of qualification exams Sept. 4 as his crewmates, NASA Flight Engineer Michael Hopkins (left) and Sergey Ryazanskiy (partially hidden behind Kotov) look on. The trio is in final training for launch on Sept. 26, Kazakh time, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on the Soyuz TMA-10M spacecraft for a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station.NASA/Stephanie Stoll

NASA/Victor Zelentsov

Russian Space Forces Cosmonaut Yuri Shargin, left, Expedition 10 Soyuz Commander Salizhan Sharipov, Expedition 10 Commander Leroy Chiao, right, talk to the press from behind glass one day prior to their scheduled launch of the Soyuz TMA-5 spacecraft to the International Space Station, Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2004, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The crew docked to the Station on October 16, and Chiao and Sharipov will replace the current Station crewmembers, Gennady Padalka and Mike Fincke, who will return to Earth October 24 with Shargin.

2037:At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 41/42 prime crewmembers Barry Wilmore of NASA (left), Alexander Samokutyaev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, center) and Elena Serova of Roscosmos (right) listen to instructions from officials September 4 at the start of the second day of final qualification exams. The trio will launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Sept. 26, Kazakh time, in their Soyuz TMA-14M spacecraft for a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station. Serova will become the fourth Russian woman to fly in space and the first Russian woman to conduct a long duration mission on the station.NASA/Stephanie Stoll

Expedition 64 NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, left, and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, center, and Sergey Ryzhikov of Roscosmos, right, are seen during a traditional tour of the Baikonur Cosmodrome Museum, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2020, Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The trio are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft on October 14.

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 as they depart the Cosmonaut Hotel to suit-up for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station, Wednesday, March 21, 2018 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz MS-08 is scheduled for 1:44 p.m. Eastern Time (11:44 p.m. Baikonur time) on March 21 and will send Arnold, Artemyev, and Feustel on a five month mission aboard the International Space Station.

European Space Agency astronaut Pedro Duque of Spain suits up for launch, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2003, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan prior to his departure for the launch pad with Expedition 8 Commander and NASA Science Officer Mike Foale and Soyuz Commander Alexander Kaleri. The trio were launched on the Soyuz TMA-3 vehicle to the International Space Station, arriving on Oct. 20.

Expedition 43 NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly, left, and Russian Cosmonauts Gennady Padalka, center, and Mikhail Kornienko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) wait to receive a final salute from officials before departing building 254 for their launch onboard the Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft to the International Space Station 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.

At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 35-36 prime crewmembers Chris Cassidy of NASA (left), Soyuz Commander Pavel Vinogradov (center) and Alexander Misurkin (right) report to Russian space officials March 4 for the start of qualification simulations in Soyuz and Russian segment trainers. The three crewmembers are preparing for their launch March 29 (Kazakh time) to the International Space Station in their Soyuz TMA-08M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.NASA / Stephanie Stoll

jsc2018e050823 - At the Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 56 crewmembers Serena Aunon-Chancellor of NASA (left), Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos (center) and Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency (right) review training documents with a Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center instructor (far left) May 29 as they prepare for their upcoming launch. Aunon-Chancellor, Prokopyev and Gerst 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/Victor Zelentsov.

Expedition 65 crew member Russian cosmonaut 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 33/34 prime crew members from left; Flight Engineer Kevin Ford of NASA, Soyuz Commander Oleg Novitskiy, Flight Engineer Evgeny Tarelkin of ROSCOSMOS, and backup crew members; Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, Russian cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov, and NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy pose for a group photograph after the end of a press conference held at the Cosmonaut Hotel, on Monday, October 22, 2012, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for October 23 and will send Ford, Novitskiy and Tarelkin on a five-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

Expedition 55 Soyuz Commander Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos and flight engineers Ricky Arnold and Drew Feustel of NASA report to Igor Komarov, Director of Roscosmos, prior to boarding the Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft, Wednesday, March 21, 2018 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Arnold, Artemyev, 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 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.

CG4G9036 --- (6 May 2015) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 44/45 crewmembers Kimya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (left), Oleg Kononenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, center), and Kjell Lindgren of NASA (right) answer questions from media on the first of two days of qualification exams May 6. The trio is preparing for launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on May 27, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft to begin a five and a half month mission to the International Space Station.

At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 46-47 backup crewmembers Kate Rubins of NASA (left), Anatoly Ivanishin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, center) and Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (right) check in with Russian space officials Nov. 19 prior to their qualification exams. They are the backups to the prime crewmembers, Yuri Malenchenko of Roscosmos, Tim Kopra of NASA and Tim Peake of the European Space Agency, who 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 65 backup crew members NASA astronaut Anne McClain, left, and Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos, and Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos, right, are seen in quarantine, behind glass, during a press conference, Thursday, April 8, 2021 a the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 65 NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Oleg Novitskiy are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft on April 9.

Expedition 28 Soyuz Commander Sergei Volkov speaks 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.

At their Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 59 backup crewmembers Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos (left), Drew Morgan of NASA (center) and Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (right) take a moment from pre-launch training for a game of chess March 7. They are the backups to the prime crewmembers, Christina Koch of NASA, Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos and Nick Hague of NASA, who 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.

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) report to Russian space officials 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

At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 37/38 Flight Engineer Sergey Ryazanskiy signs in for a round of qualification exams Sept. 4 as he and his crewmates, Soyuz Commander Oleg Kotov and NASA Flight Engineer Michael Hopkins enter the final phase of their training. The trio is preparing for launch on Sept. 26, Kazakh time, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on the Soyuz TMA-10M spacecraft for a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station.NASA/Stephanie Stoll

jsc2017e101931 (July 22, 2017) --- At the Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 52-53 crewmembers Paolo Nespoli of the European Space Agency (left), Sergey Ryazanskiy of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, center) and Randy Bresnik of NASA (right) stroll down the Walk of the Cosmonauts July 22 as part of their pre-launch media day activities. The trio will launch July 28 on the Soyuz MS-05 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for a five-month mission on the International Space Station.

Expedition 24 NASA Flight Engineer Shannon Walker has her Russian Sokol suit prepared for launch by technicians at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Tuesday, June 15, 2010. Walker, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Doug Wheelock launched in their Soyuz TMA-19 rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, June 16, 2010. (

NASA astronaut Drew Feustel, center, uses frosting and graham crackers to represent the layers of Earths crust while taping a segment of STEM in 30 with Marty Kelsey, left, and Beth Wilson, right, Thursday, May 9, 2019 at the Smithsonians National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. Feustel most recently spent 197 days living and working onboard the International Space Station as part of Expedition 55 and as commander of Expedition 56. Feustel ventured outside the space station on three spacewalks, moving him up to second among U.S. spacewalkers with a cumulative time of 61 hours 48 minutes over nine spacewalks.

At the Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, the Expedition 59 prime and backup crewmembers pose for pictures March 7 as part of their pre-launch activities. From left to right are the prime crewmembers, Nick Hague of NASA, Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos and Christina Koch of NASA and the backup crewmembers, Drew Morgan of NASA, Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos and Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency. Hague, Ovchinin and Koch 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.

Russian Space Forces cosmonaut Yuri Shargin donned his launch and entry suit and climbed aboard the 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.

From left to right, Expedition 65 backup crew members Russian cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev and Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos, and NASA astronaut Anne McClain, pose for a photo with Expedition 65 prime crew members, NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, and Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov of Roscosmos, after a tree planting ceremony that is part of traditional pre-launch activities, Saturday, April 3, 2021, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Vande Hei, Novitskiy and Dubrov are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft on April 9.

CG4G8954 --- (6 May 2015) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 44/45 crewmembers Kimya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (left), Oleg Kononenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, center), and Kjell Lindgren of NASA (right) answer questions from media on the first of two days of qualification exams May 6. The trio is preparing for launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on May 27, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft to begin a five and a half month mission to the International Space Station.

Technicians talk with Expedition 49 flight engineer Andrey Borisenko of Roscosmos, left, Soyuz commander Sergey Ryzhikov of Roscosmos, center, and flight engineer Shane Kimbrough of NASA, right, during their first check dress rehearsal activities, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Kimbrough, Ryzhikov, and Borsenko will launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Oct. 19.

jsc2020e017118 - Expedition 63 Preflight - Expedition 63 crewmember Ivan Vagner of Roscosmos walks to board the Soyuz rocket prior to launch with Anatoly Ivanishin of Roscosmos and Chris Cassidy of NASA, Thursday, April 9, 2020 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. A few hours later, the trio lifted off on a Soyuz rocket for a six-and-a-half month mission on the International Space Station.

Expedition 60 flight engineer Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency) is escorted by Johann-Dietrich Wörner, Director General of ESA (European Space Agency) as he prepares to board the Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft for launch, 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 70 Preflight. Expedition 70 Roscosmos cosmonauts Nikolai Chub, left, and Oleg Kononenko, center, along with NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara, visit with families shortly before departing 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.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At SPACEHAB, in Cape Canaveral, Fla., STS-101 Mission Specialists Susan Helms and Yuri Usachev, with Commander James Halsell, handle an air duct to be installed during their mission to the International Space Station. The air duct is for the Russian module Zarya to improve ventilation. At right are Mission Specialists Jeffrey Williams and Mary Ellen Weber. In the background at left is Pilot Scott Horowitz. Not shown is Mission Specialist James Voss. The crew is taking part in Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) activities to learn about some of the equipment they will be working with on their mission to the Space Station. The STS-101 crew will be responsible for preparing the Space Station for the arrival of the Zvezda Service Module, expected to be launched by Russia in July 2000. Also, the crew will conduct one space walk to perform maintenance on the Space Station and deliver logistics and supplies. This will be the third assembly flight for the Space

Expedition 64 NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, left, and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov, center, and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, right, of Roscosmos, pose for a picture in quarantine, behind glass, following a press conference, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020, at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Rubins, Ryzhikov, and Kud-Sverchkov are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft on October 14.

NASA, ESA, Roscosmos, and Russian Search and Recovery Forces meet at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Karaganda, Kazakhstan to discuss the readiness for the landing of Expedition 61 crew members Christina Koch of NASA, Alexander Skvortsov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, and Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency) Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020, at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Koch will be returning to Earth after logging 328 days in space --- the longest spaceflight in history by a woman --- as a member of Expeditions 59-60-61 on the International Space Station. Skvortsov and Parmitano will be returning after 201 days in space where they served as Expedition 60-61 crew members onboard the station.

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

Expedition 37/38 backup crewmember Steve Swanson of NASA signs a wall mural depicting a Soyuz rocket during a tour of the famed Korolev Museum at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan Sept. 17. Swanson, Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Artemyev are serving as backups to the prime crewmembers, Flight Engineer Michael Hopkins of NASA, Soyuz Commander Oleg Kotov and Flight Engineer Sergey Ryazanskiy, who are preparing for launch Sept. 26, Kazakh time from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the Soyuz TMA-10M spacecraft for a five and a half month mission on the International Space Station.NASA/Victor Zelentsov

Expedition 64 crew member Sergey Ryzhikov of Roscosmos plays a game of ping-pong, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020, at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Ryzhikov, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of Roscosmos and Kate Rubins of NASA are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft on October 14.

Expedition 60 Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos is introduced during a press conference, Friday, July 19, 2019 at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 60 Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos, flight engineer Andrew Morgan of NASA, and flight engineer Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency) 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.

JSC2005-E-22365 (14 June 2005) --- Astronaut John L. Phillips, Expedition 11 NASA space station science officer and flight engineer, testifies via video screen before the House Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics chaired by Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), as he orbited Earth onboard the international space station at a speed of five miles a second. Phillips was approximately 220 statute miles above Earth, but his radio transmissions were routed to a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) in geostationary orbit at an altitude of about 22,300 miles. Astronauts Peggy A. Whitson and Edward M. (Mike) Fincke, former station residents, are visible at left.

Expedition 24 prime and back-up crew members pose pose for a group photo after a press conference held at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Monday, June 14, 2010. From left: NASA astronaut Doug Wheelock, Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, NASA astronaut Shannon Walker, NASA astronaut Cady Coleman, Russian cosmonaut Dimitri Kondratiev and European Space Agency Paolo Nespoli of Italy. The launch of the Soyuz spacecraft with Expedition 24 NASA Flight Engineers Shannon Walker and Douglas Wheelock, and Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin is scheduled for Wednesday, June 16, 2010 at 3:35 a.m. Kazakhstan time.

nhq201707070015 (July 7, 2017) --- Expedition 52 flight engineer Sergey Ryazanskiy of Roscosmos waits to enter the Soyuz simulator ahead his final Soyuz qualification exam with fellow Expedition 52 flight engineers Paolo Nespoli of ESA, and Randy Bresnik of NASA, Friday, July 7, 2017 at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia.

The STS-87 crew participates in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities at Launch Complex 39B

Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi, left, Expedition 19 Commander Gennady I. Padalka, center, and Flight Engineer Michael R. Barratt are seen in quarantine behind glass as they pose for photographs on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

At the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 48-49 crewmembers Kate Rubins of NASA (left), Anatoly Ivanishin of Roscosmos (center) and Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (right) conduct rendezvous rehearsals on a laptop computer simulator June 30 as instructors look on. Rubins, Ivanishin and Onishi will launch July 7, Baikonur time, on the Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft for a planned four-month mission on the International Space Station.NASA/Alexander Vysotsky

13-29-34:In the Baikonur Cosmodrome Museum in Kazakhstan, Expedition 39/40 Flight Engineer Steve Swanson of NASA signs a banner March 21 bearing the insignia of the 2014 Winter Olympics that concluded in February in Sochi, Russia as he and his crewmates prepare for launch to the International Space Station. Swanson, Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and Flight Engineer Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos are wrapping up training for their launch to the station March 26, Kazakh time, on the Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft for a six-month mission on the orbital laboratory.NASA/Victor Zelentsov

jsc2018e081043 (Sept. 12, 2018) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 57 crewmembers Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos and Nick Hague of NASA report to officials Sept. 13 for the first day of their Soyuz qualification exams. They 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/Elizabeth Weissinger.

jsc2018e085895 (Oct. 3, 2018) --- Expedition 57 prime crew member Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos, left, plays backgammon with backup crew member David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency as prime crew member Nick Hague of NASA looks on during the traditional pre-launch ceremonies, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018 at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Ovchinin and Hague are scheduled to launch on Oct. 11 onboard the Soyuz MS-10 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a six-month mission on the International Space Station.

Deputy Director of Rosaviatsiya (Russian Federal Agency for Air Transport) Alexander Vedernikov conducts a readiness review for the landing of Expedition 53 Commander Randy Bresnik of NASA and Flight Engineers Paolo Nespoli of ESA (European Space Agency) and Sergey Ryazanskiy of the Russian space agency Roscosmos Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017. Bresnik, Nespoli and Ryazanskiy are returning after 139 days in space where they served as members of the Expedition 52 and 53 crews onboard the International Space Station.

Expedition 8 Soyuz Commander and Flight Engineer Alexander Kaleri and European Space Agency astronaut Pedro Duque of Spain are briefed on launch procedures from a Russian trainer at their crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2003 as they prepare for launch Oct. 18 in a Soyuz TMA-3 vehicle to the International Space Station.

Expedition 38 backup crew members Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency, left, Russian cosmonaut Max Suraev, and Reid Wiseman of NASA, right, are seen in quarantine, behind glass, during the final press conference held a day ahead of the launch of Expedition 38 prime crew members; Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos, and, Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA, to the International Space Station, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013 at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

Expedition 8 Commander and NASA Science Officer Michael Foale, left, Expedition 8 Soyuz Commander Alexander Kaleri and European Space Agency Astronaut Pedro Duque of Spain, right, report to launch officials on their inspection of the Soyuz TMA-3 spacecraft during a final vehicle training session at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Monday, Oct. 13, 2003. The trio launched to the International Space Station on Oct. 18, 2003.

Expedition 43 Russian Cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko, left, and Gennady Padalka, of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), and NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly answer reporters questions after having completed the Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft final check, Monday, March 23, 2015 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Kelly, Kornienko, and Padalka 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.

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