On May 24, RSC Energia specialists successfully performed processing operations at Baikonur cosmodrome relating to the new-modification manned transport spacecraft Soyuz MS-09 mating to the transfer compartment.

The spacecraft prelaunch processing under the International Space Station (ISS) program is under way in the spacecraft Assembly and Testing facility (SC ATF) at Baikonur cosmodrome.

Per the spacecraft processing schedule, the designer’s inspection of the spacecraft and encapsulation will take place on May 29.

The launch of the Soyuz-FG launch vehicle with manned transport spacecraft Soyuz MS-09 is scheduled on June 6, 2018 from the Baikonur cosmodrom. The ISS-56/57 prime crew consists of ROSKOSMOS cosmonaut Sergey PROKOPIEV, ESA astronaut Alexander GERST and NASA astronaut Serena AUNON-CHANCELLOR. Their backup crewmembers are ROSKOSMOS cosmonaut Oleg KONONENKO, CSA astronaut David SAINT-JACQUES and NASA astronaut Anne McCLAIN.