Space Mission Preparations

Behind-the-scenes images of astronauts preparing for launch, donning space suits and undergoing checks before their missions to the ISS.

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 36 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin is helped into his Russian Sokol suit as he and fellow crewmates, NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg 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 Yurchikhin, Nyberg and Parmitano on a five and a half month mission aboard the International Space Station.

Expedition 36 NASA Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin 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 Yurchikhin, NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg and European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

Expedition 56 flight engineer Serena Auñón-Chancellor of NASA is seen as she waits to have her Russian Sokol suit pressure checked as he and fellow crewmates, Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos and Alexander Gerst of ESA (European Space Agency) prepare for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station, Wednesday, June 6, 2018 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Auñón-Chancellor, Prokopyev, and Gerst on a six month mission aboard the International Space Station.

Expedition 65 crew member Mark Vande Hei of NASA, arrives for Soyuz qualification exams Saturday, March 20, 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 65 Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked as he and fellow crewmates Russian cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov and NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, 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.

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 32 NASA Flight Engineer Sunita Williams lies in a chair to have her Russian Sokol suit pressure checked in preparation for his launch onboard the Soyuz TMA-05M on Sunday, July 15, 2012 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The launch of the Soyuz spacecraft with Williams, Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko and JAXA Flight Engineer Akihiko Hoshide is scheduled for the morning of Sunday, July 15, local time.

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

Expedition 55 flight engineer Ricky Arnold of NASA has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked in preparation for launch aboard the Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft, Wednesday, March 21, 2018 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome Kazakhstan. Arnold, Soyuz Commander Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos, and flight engineer 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 51 Flight Engineer Jack Fischer of NASA is helped into his Russian Sokol suit as he and fellow crewmate, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhinof Roscosmos prepare for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station, 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 Fischer and Yurchikhin into orbit to begin their four and a half month mission on the International Space Station.

Expedition 37/38 Soyuz Commander Oleg Kotov has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked ahead of his launch onboard a Soyuz TMA-10M spacecraft to the International Space Station with fellow crewmates Russian Flight Engineer Sergey Ryazanskiy and NASA Engineer Michael Hopkins, on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2013, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send the crewmates on a five-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

Expedition 42 Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked in preparation for his launch aboard the Soyuz TMA-15M spacecraft on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014, at Building 254 in the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for the early hours of Nov. 24 and will carry Shkaplerov and fellow crewmates, Flight Engineers Terry Virts of NASA and Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (ESA) into orbit to begin their five and a half month mission on the International Space Station.

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

Expedition 56 flight engineer Serena Auñón-Chancellor of NASA has her Russian Sokol suit pressure checked as she and fellow crewmates, Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos and Alexander Gerst of ESA (European Space Agency) prepare for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station, Wednesday, June 6, 2018 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Auñón-Chancellor, Prokopyev, and Gerst on a six month mission aboard the International Space Station.

Expedition 59 cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos has 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 40 Soyuz Commander Maxim Suraev of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked in preparation for his launch onboard the Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft on Wednesday, May 28, 2014 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Soyuz spacecraft with Suraev, Expedition 40 Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency, ESA, and Flight Engineer Reid Wiseman of NASA is scheduled to launch at 1:57 a.m. Kazakhstan Time on Thursday, May 29.

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

Expedition 64 Russian cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of Roscosmos is seen as he prepares to have his Russian Sokol suit 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 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 Baikonur, 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 26 European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2010. Nespoli and fellow Expedition 26 crew members Soyuz Commander Dmitry Kondratryev and NASA Flight Engineer Catherine Coleman launched in their Soyuz TMA-20 rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan the following morning at 1:09 a.m. local time. (

Expedition 39 Flight Engineer Oleg Artemyev 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 Artemyev, Expedition 39 Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos and Flight Engineer Steve Swanson of NASA is scheduled to launch at 3:17 a.m. Kazakhstan time on Wednesday, March 26.

Expedition 59 astronaut Nick Hague of NASA has his Sokol suit pressure checked a few hours ahead of his launch on a Soyuz rocket with Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos, 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.

Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked in preparation for his Soyuz launch to the International Space Station with Expedition 19 Commander Gennady I. Padalka and Expedition 19 Flight Engineer Michael R. Barratt on Thursday, March 26, 2009 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. (

jsc2017e096660 (July 17, 2017) --- In the Integration Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 52-53 crewmember Randy Bresnik of NASA undergoes a leak check of his Russian Sokol launch and entry suit during a fit check dress rehearsal July 17. Bresnik, Sergey Ryazanskiy of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and Paolo Nespoli of the European Space Agency will launch July 28 on the Soyuz MS-05 spacecraft for a five-month mission on the International Space Station.

Expedition 64 Russian cosmonaut Sergey Ryzhikov of Roscosmos dons his Sokol suit during the Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft fit check with fellow Russian cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, 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.

Expedition 38 Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA is seen laying in a seat liner as he and fellow crew mates, Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and, Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos, 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.

Technicians conduct a leak check on the spacesuit of European Space Agency astronaut Pedro Duque of Spain at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2003, 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 a Soyuz TMA-3 vehicle to the International Space Station, arriving on Oct. 20.

jsc2020e017094 - Expedition 63 Preflight - Expedition 63 crewmember Chris Cassidy of NASA has his Sokol suit pressure checked ahead of his launch on a Soyuz rocket with Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner of Roscosmos, Thursday, April 9, 2020 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. A few hours later, Vagner, Anatoly Ivanishin of Roscosmos, and Chris Cassidy of NASA lifted off for a six-and-a-half month mission on the International Space Station.

Expedition 51 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of Roscosmos is helped into his Russian Sokol suit as he and fellow crewmate, Flight Engineer Jack Fischer of NASA prepare for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station, 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 Fischer into orbit to begin their four and a half month mission on the International Space Station.

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. (

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.

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

Expedition 42 Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) is helped into his Russian Sokol suit as he and fellow crewmates, Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (ESA), and Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA prepare for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station, on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for the early hours of Nov. 24 and will carry Shkaplerov, Virts, and Cristoforetti into orbit to begin their five and a half month mission on the International Space Station.

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 1:13pm 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 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. (

Expedition 37/38 Russian Flight Engineer Sergey Ryazanskiy has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked ahead of his launch onboard a Soyuz TMA-10M spacecraft to the International Space Station with fellow crewmates NASA Flight Engineer Michael Hopkins and Soyuz Commander Oleg Kotov, on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2013, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send the Expedition 37/38 crewmates on a five-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

Expedition 64 Russian cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of Roscosmos is seen while having his Sokol suit pressure checked during the Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft fit check, Monday, Sept. 28, 2020, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Kud-Sverchkov, NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Ryzhikov of Roscosmos 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.

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 Kazakhstan. Artemyev and flight engineers Drew Feustel and Ricky Arnold 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.

jsc2018e097295 - In the Integration Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 58 crewmember Anne McClain of NASA tries on gloves Nov. 20 during a Russian Sokol launch and entry suit pressure and leak check. McClain, Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos and David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency will launch Dec. 3 on the Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for a six-and-a-half month mission on the International Space Station...NASA/Victor Zelentsov.

Flight Engineer Nick Hague of NASA dons his Sokol suits ahead of his launch on a Soyuz rocket with Flight Engineer Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos, 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 57 Flight Engineer Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos has his Sokol suit pressure checked a few hours ahead of his launch on a Soyuz rocket with Flight Engineer Nick Hague of NASA, 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 34/35 Soyuz Commander Roman Romanenko 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 Engineers Chris Hadfield and Tom Marshburn, 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.

Expedition 64 NASA astronaut Kate Rubins is seen inside the Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft during the fit check to with Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of Roscosmos, Monday, Sept. 28, 2020, 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.

Expedition 58 Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos is helped into his Russian Sokol suit as he and fellow crewmates, Flight Engineer Anne McClain of NASA and Flight Engineer David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) prepare for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station, 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, McClain, and Saint-Jacques into orbit to begin their six and a half month mission on the International Space Station.

jsc2018e010868 - At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 55 crewmember Drew Feustel of NASA undergoes a leak check March 5 in a Russian Sokol launch and entry suit as part of the crews first vehicle fit check activities. Feustel, Ricky Arnold of NASA and Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos will launch March 21 in the Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft from Baikonur for a five-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.

jsc2020e017084 - Expedition 63 Preflight - Expedition 63 crewmember Anatoly Ivanishin of Roscosmos has his Sokol suit pressure checked ahead of his launch on a Soyuz rocket with Ivan Vagner of Roscosmos, and Chris Cassidy of NASA, 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 51 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of Roscosmos is helped into his Russian Sokol suit as he and fellow crewmate Flight Engineer Jack Fischer of NASA prepare for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station, 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 Fischer into orbit to begin their four and a half month mission on the International Space Station.

Expedition 56 flight engineer Serena Auñón-Chancellor of NASA waves to family and friends as she prepares to have her Russian Sokol suit pressure checked in preparation for launch aboard the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft, Wednesday, June 6, 2018 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Auñón-Chancellor, Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos, and Alexander Gerst of ESA (European Space Agency) on a six month mission aboard the International Space Station.

jsc2017e040285 (April 6, 2017) --- In the Integration Building at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 51 crewmember Jack Fischer of NASA suits up April 6 for a fit check in the Soyuz MS-04 spacecraft as part of pre-launch preparations. Fischer and Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) will launch April 20 on the Soyuz MS-04 spacecraft for a four and a half month mission on the International Space Station. NASA/Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center/Andrey Shelepin

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

Astronaut Edward T. Lu, Expedition 7 NASA International Space Station Science Officer and Flight Engineer, 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.

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

Expedition 60 flight engineer Andrew Morgan of NASA 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. Morgan, Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos, 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 International Space Station.

Expedition 19 Flight Engineer Michael R. Barratt is helped into a seat where his suit will be pressure checked in preparation for his Soyuz launch to the International Space Station with Commander Gennady I. Padalka and Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi on Thursday, March 26, 2009 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. (

At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 33/34 Flight Engineer Kevin Ford of NASA undergoes a pressure and leak check of his Russian Sokol launch and entry suit in the Site 254 Integration Facility October 10, 2012 during the first of two fit check” dress rehearsal sessions. Ford, Soyuz Commander Oleg Novitskiy and Flight Engineer Evgeny Tarelkin are in the final phase of their training for launch October 23 in their Soyuz TMA-06M spacecraft for a five-month mission on the International Space Station.NASA/Victor Zelentsov

Expedition 55 Soyuz Commander Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos has 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.

At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 34/35 Flight Engineer Tom Marshburn of NASA suits up in his Russian Sokol launch and entry suit Dec. 7, 2012 during a fit check” dress rehearsal for launch in the Soyuz TMA-07M spacecraft. Marshburn, Soyuz Commander Roman Romanenko and Flight Engineer Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency will launch Dec. 19 for a five-month mission on the International Space Station.

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

Technicians work on the Russian Sokol suit of Expedition 11 Flight Engineer and NASA Science Officer John Phillips 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.

Expedition 23 Flight Engineer Mikhail Kornienko of the Russia has his Russian Sokol suit prepared for launch by a technician at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Friday, April 2, 2010. Kornienko and fellow Expedition 23 crewmembers Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov and NASA Flight Engineer Tracy Caldwell Dyson of the U.S. launched in their Soyuz TMA-18 rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Friday, April 2, 2010.

jsc2018e044092 - At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 56 crewmember Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency signs in for the final day of Soyuz qualification exams May 11 as his crewmate, Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos (right) looks on. Gerst, Prokopyev and Serena Aunon-Chancellor of NASA will launch June 6 on the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a six-month mission on the International Space Station...NASA/Elizabeth Weissinger.

Expedition 37/38 NASA Flight Engineer Michael Hopkins is fitted into his Russian Sokol suit as he and fellow crewmates Soyuz Commander Oleg Kotov and Russian Flight Engineer Sergey Ryazanskiy 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 Hopkins, Kotov and Ryazanskiy on a five-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

Expedition 37 Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency) is carried from the Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft minutes after he landed in a remote area outside the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, on Monday, Nov. 11, 2013. Parmitano, Expedition 37 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg returned to earth after five and a half months on the International Space Station.

JSC2006-E-49770 (16 Nov. 2006) --- Astronaut Clayton C. Anderson, Expedition 15 flight engineer, dons a training version of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) space suit prior to being submerged in the waters of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near the Johnson Space Center. Suit technicians assisted Anderson.

At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 32/33 Flight Engineer Sunita Williams rests during a leak check of her Russian launch and entry suit July 3, 2012 as part of the suited fit check” of the Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft that will launch her, Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko and Flight Engineer Aki Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency to the International Space Station on July 15.NASA/Victor Zelentsov

Expedition 70 Preflight. Expedition 70 Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, foreground, and Nikolai Chub, center, and NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara, prepare to 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.

At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 31/32 Flight Engineer Joe Acaba of NASA suits up for a fit check” dress rehearsal May 3, 2012 inside the Soyuz spacecraft in which he, Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Sergei Revin will launch on May 15 to the International Space Station. The crew will spend four months on the orbital outpost.NASA/Victor Zelentsov

In the Integration Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 50-51 crewmember Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency suits up Nov. 2 for a fit check dress rehearsal in the Soyuz MS-03 spacecraft. Pesquet, Peggy Whitson of NASA and Oleg Novitskiy of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) will launch Nov. 18, Baikonur time, for a six-month mission on the International Space Station.NASA/Alexander Vysotsky

Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT) with NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Nicole Mann and Boeing Astronaut Chris Ferguson during ISS EVA Prep & Post 1 training.

13-12-18-49: (13 Sept. 2014) --- At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 41/42 Flight Engineer Barry Wilmore of NASA suits up in his Russian Sokol launch and entry suit Sept. 13 during the first of two fit check” dress rehearsal activities. Wilmore, Soyuz Commander Alexander Samokutyaev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and Flight Engineer Elena Serova of Roscosmos will launch on Sept. 26, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-14M spacecraft to begin a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station. Serova will become the fourth Russian woman to fly in space.

Expedition 11 Commander Sergei Krikalev, left, and Flight Engineer and NASA Science Officer John Phillips, seated right, along with NASA astronaut Dan Tani, standing, are seen, Friday, April 15, 2005, during preparations for launch aboard the Soyuz TMA-6 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a two-day trip to the International Space Station.

Expedition 54 flight engineer Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), left, is helped into his Russian Sokol suit as he and fellow cremates, Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos, center, and flight engineer Scott Tingle of NASA, right, prepare for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Tingle, Kanai, and Shkaplerov on a five month mission aboard the International Space Station.

In the Integration Building at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, spaceflight participant Hazzaa Ali Almansoori of the United Arab Emirates undergoes a pressure and leak check of his Russian Sokol launch and entry suit Sept. 11 for a fit check aboard the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft. Almansoori and Expedition 61 crewmembers Jessica Meir of NASA and Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos will launch Sept. 25 on the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for a mission on the International Space Station.NASA/Victor Zelentsov

Expedition 35 NASA Flight Engineer Chris Cassidy, center, is helped into his Russian Sokol suit as he and fellow crewmates, Soyuz Commander Pavel Vinogradov, and Flight Engineer Alexander Misurkin prepare for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station, Thursday, March 28, 2013, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Cassidy, Vinogradov and Misurkin on a five and a half month mission aboard the International Space Station.

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

Spaceflight Participant Guy Laliberté, front left, Expedition 21 Flight Engineer Maxim Suraev, front center, and Expedition 21 Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams prepare to have their Russian Sokol suits pressure tested while the backup crew members look on, from back left, Backup Spaceflight Participant Barbara Barrett, backup Expedition 21 Commander Aleksandr Skvortsov, and backup Expedition 21 Flight Engineer Shannon Walker, prior to the crews launch onboard a Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

Expedition 36 NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg has her Russian Sokol suit pressure checked ahead of her 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 Nyberg, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

Expedition 40 Soyuz Commander Maxim Suraev of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, bottom, Flight Engineer Reid Wiseman of NASA, center, and Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency, ESA, top, wave farewell prior to boarding the Soyuz TMA-13M rocket for launch, Wednesday, May 28, 2014 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Suraev, Gerst, and Wiseman will spend the next six months aboard the International Space Station.

Astronaut Bob Behnken emerges from the hatch of a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft in manufacturing at SpaceX's headquarters and factory in Hawthorne, California. Behnken is one of four NASA astronauts selected to train with Boeing and SpaceX ahead of flight tests for NASA's Commercial Crew Program. Along with Behnken, Eric Boe, Doug Hurley and Suni Williams are working with the companies on their independent spacecraft and launch vehicles being developed to take astronauts to the International Space Station.

At the Integration Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 49 crewmember Shane Kimbrough of NASA completes a pressure test on his Sokol launch and entry suit Sept. 9 during a pre-launch training fit check. Looking on are backup crewmembers Mark Vande Hei of NASA (second from right) and Alexander Misurkin of Roscosmos (far right). Kimbrough and Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko of Roscosmos will launch Sept. 24, Kazakh time on the Soyuz MS-02 vehicle for a five-month mission on the International Space Station.NASA/Victor Zelentsov

PHOTO DATE: 10-26-10LOCATION: NBL - Pool TopsideSUBJECT: Expedition 27 crew member Ron Garan and Expedition 28 crew member Mike Fossum during a joint INC-27/INC-28 ISS EVA Cleanup training session at the NBLWORK ORDER: 03126-BS__NBLEXP27_10-26-10

12-41-29:At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 40/41 Flight Engineer Reid Wiseman of NASA undergoes leak and pressure checks on his Russian Sokol launch and entry suit May 16 during a dress rehearsal fit check”. Wiseman, Soyuz Commander Max Suraev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency 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 58 Flight Engineer Anne McClain of NASA has her Russian Sokol suit pressure checked in preparation for her 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 McClain, Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) into orbit to begin their six and a half month mission on the International Space Station.

Expedition 35 Flight Engineer and Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko is seen smiling as he is carried after being extracted from the Soyuz TMA-07M spacecraft shortly after the capsule landed with Expedition 35 Commander Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and NASA Flight Engineer Tom Marshburn in a remote area outside of the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan on Tuesday, May 14, 2013. Romanenko, Hadfield and Marshburn are returning from five months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 34 and 35 crews.

PHOTO DATE: 03-28-13LOCATION: NBL - Pool Topside SUBJECT: Expedition 39 (Soyuz 37) crew members Rick Mastracchio and Koichi Wakata during pre-dive briefing, preparations and suitup, then lowering into the water.

Expedition 55 flight engineer Drew Feustel of NASA 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 Kazakhstan. Feustel, Soyuz Commander Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos, and flight engineer Ricky Arnold 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.

Technicians check suit pressure for Expedition 13 Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams prior to launch onboard the Soyuz spacecraft from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Thursday, March 30. 2006.

Expedition 8 Commander and NASA Science Officer Michael Foale, left and Expedition 8 Soyuz Commander Alexander Kaleri share a moment while suiting up prior to departing for the launch pad with European Space Agency astronaut Pedro Duque of Spain, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2003, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The trio were launched on a Soyuz TMA-3 vehicle to the International Space Station, arriving on Oct. 20.

Expedition 43 NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly dons his Russian sokol suit during the Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft fit check with Russian Cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and, Mikhail Kornienko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Sunday, March 15, 2015 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The trio 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. As the one-year crew, Kelly and Kornienko will return to Earth on Soyuz TMA-18M in March 2016.

Expedition 9 Commander Gennady Padalka, right, and Flight Engineer and NASA Science Officer Mike Fincke check each other's suits, Monday, April 19, 2004, prior to departing for the launch pad for their liftoff to the International Space Station April 19, 2004 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Padalka and Fincke launched with European Space Agency Astronaut Andre Kuipers of the Netherlands, who will spend 9 days on the Station, while Padalka and Fincke will remain on board until October.

Expedition 43 Russian Cosmonaut Gennady Padalka of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) dons his Russian sokol suit ahead of his launch onboard the Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft to the International Space Station with fellow crew mates, NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly, and Russian Cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko Friday, March 27, 2015 in Baikonor, Kazakhstan. As the one-year crew, Kelly and Kornienko will return to Earth on Soyuz TMA-18M in March 2016.

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 59 cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos has 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.

jsc2018e097296 - In the Integration Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 58 crewmember Anne McClain of NASA conducts a pressure and leak check of her Russian Sokol launch and entry suit Nov. 20. McClain, Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos and David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency will launch Dec. 3 on the Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for a six-and-a-half month mission on the International Space Station...NASA/Victor Zelentsov.

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.

Expedition 8 Commander and NASA Scienhce Officer Michael Foale, left, works to suit up for launch as Expedition 8 Soyuz Commander Alexander Kaleri looks on, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2003, prior to departure for the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Foale, Kaleri and European Space Agency astronaut Pedro Duque were launched on a Soyuz TMA-3 vehicle to the International Space Station, arriving on Oct. 20.

Expedition 16 Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko dons his flight suit prior to launch, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2007, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson, Malenchenko, and Malaysian spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at sunset n their Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft bound for a docking to the International Space Station on Oct. 12. Whitson and Malenchenko will spend six months on the station, while Shukor will return to Earth Oct. 21 with two of the Expedition 15 crewmembers currently on the complex.

Expedition 36 European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano 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.

NASA/Stephanie Stoll

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