Preparations continue at Baikonur cosmodrome for the launch of the manned transportation spacecraft Soyuz MS-08. On February 15, 2018 specialists from Roscosmos companies completed electrical tests on the manned transportation spacecraft and proceeded with the new phase, the tests on the spacecraft in the vacuum chamber. The manned spacecraft Soyuz MS-08 was transferred to a vacuum chamber where for the next few days it is to be subjected to the leak tests.

Also today, in the processing facility of Area 254 of the Baikonur cosmodrome crews of specialists from Roscosmos companies removed from storage the next manned spacecraft Soyuz MS-09 and proceeded with the first phase of testing.

The launch of the Soyuz MS-08 on the launch vehicle Soyuz-FG is scheduled for March 21, 2018 from Area No.1 (“Gagarin’s launch pad”) of the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Currently continuing their training at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center are the crews who will be the main and backup crews of Soyuz MS-08 and of the Expeditions ISS-55/56 Oleg Artemiev, Andrew Feustel, Richard Arnold, Alexei Ovchinin and Tyler Nick Haig.