Preparations continue for the launch of transportation spacecraft Soyuz MS-05 under the program of the International Space Station.

Today, July 24, the crews of Soyuz MS-05 performed a check inspection of the spacecraft in its launch configuration, in the course of which the primary and backup crews familiarized themselves with the controls and checked out in the test mode the operational integrity of various systems of the upgraded spacecraft.

The main crew includes a Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergei RYAZANSKY, NASA astronaut Randolf BRESNIK and ESA astronaut Paolo NESPOLI. The backup crew consists of Alexander MISURKIN, NASA astronaut Mark VANDE HEI and JAXA astronaut Norishige KANAI.

The launch of the Soyuz MS-05 with the crew of the next expedition to the International Space Station is scheduled for July 28, 2017 from the Baikonur launch site.