On April 19, the State Commission at the Baikonur launch site approved the main and the backup crew assignments of the manned transport vehicle of the new series Soyuz МS-04 and confirmed the readiness of the integrated space launch system Soyuz-FG/Soyuz МS-04 and the ground infrastructure for the launch under the ISS program.

The prime crew of transport manned vehicle Soyuz MS-04 includes ROSCOSMOS cosmonaut Fedor YURCHIKHIN and NASA astronaut Jack FISHER. Their backups are ROSCOSMOS cosmonaut Sergei RYAZANSKY and NASA astronaut Randolph BRESNIK.

Upon completion of the State Commission session the members of the prime and backup crews answered questions from the Russian and foreign journalists at the traditional pre-flight press conference.

The launch vehicle with Soyuz МS-04 was rolled out from the integration and test building and erected at the launch pad of Site No.31 at Baikonur Cosmodrome on April 17. The spacecraft launch is scheduled on April 20.