Today, September 11, the State Commission at the Baikonur launch site approved the lists of the main and the backup crews of the crew transportation spacecraft Soyuz MS-06 and confirmed the readiness of the integrated space launch system Soyuz-FG/Soyuz MS-06 and its ground infrastructure for the launch under the ISS program.

The main crew of Soyuz MS-06 includes cosmonauts Alexander MISURKIN (spacecraft commander, Roscosmos) and astronauts Mark VANDE HEI and Joseph ACABA (flight engineers, NASA). The backup crew consists of Anton SHKAPLEROV (spacecraft commander, Roscosmos) and astronauts Scott TINGLE and Shannon WALKER (flight engineers, NASA).

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

The rolling-out of the launch vehicle Soyuz FG with Soyuz MS-06 spacecraft from the processing facility and its erecting on the launch pad of Area 1 (“Gagarin’s launch pad”) of the Baikonur cosmodrome took place on September 10.

The launch of the CTS Soyuz MS-06 with the crew of the next expedition to the International Space Station is scheduled for September 13, 2017 at 00:17 Moscow Time.