Today, July 26, a medium launch vehicle Soyuz-FG integrated with a new-series manned transportation spacecraft Soyuz MS-05 was rolled out of the processing facility and erected on the launch pad of Area 1 (“Gagarin’s launch pad”) of the Baikonur cosmodrome. Activities under the program of the first launch day began.

Specialists of RSC Energia and other organizations involved in the preparations for launch are performing the final processing operations on the launch pad. Pre-launch tests are being run on systems and assemblies of the space launcher system, interfaces between the onboard hardware and ground support equipment are being checked out.

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

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.