NASA Administrator Charles Bolden (second from left) and NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver (third from left) watch a live feed from Baikonur, Kazakhstan of the Expedition 36 crew aboard the Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft moments after it launched to the International Space Station on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The Expedition 36 crew of Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency, NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg and Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 2:31 a.m. local time Wednesday, May 29/4:31 p.m. on Tuesday, May 28 EST. The crew will spend five months living and working aboard the ISS. Photo credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden (second from left) and NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver (third from left) watch a live feed from Baikonur, Kazakhstan of the launch of the Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft carrying the Expedition 36 crew to the International Space Station on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The Expedition 36 crew of Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency, NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg and Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 2:31 a.m. local time Wednesday, May 29, 4:31 p.m. on Tuesday, May 28 EST. The crew will spend five months living and working aboard the ISS. Photo credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)
The Soyuz rocket is seen in the background at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, in Kazakhstan. The launch of the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) with Expedition 36/37 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Flight Engineers; Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, and Karen Nyberg of NASA, is scheduled for 2:31a.m., Wednesday May 29, Kazakh time. Yurchikhin, Nyberg, and, Parmitano, will remain aboard the station until mid-November. Photo credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz rocket is seen in the background at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, in Kazakhstan. The launch of the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) with Expedition 36/37 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Flight Engineers; Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, and Karen Nyberg of NASA, is scheduled for 2:31a.m., Wednesday May 29, Kazakh time. Yurchikhin, Nyberg, and, Parmitano, will remain aboard the station until mid-November. Photo credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
An aircraft shaped wind vane is seen with the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, in Kazakhstan. The launch of the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) with Expedition 36/37 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Flight Engineers; Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, and Karen Nyberg of NASA, is scheduled for 2:31a.m., Wednesday May 29, Kazakh time. Yurchikhin, Nyberg, and, Parmitano, will remain aboard the station until mid-November. Photo credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Date: 05-28-13 Location: Bldg 30, FCR-1 Subject: Expedition 36 flight controllers on console in FCR-1 during the launch of Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg of NASA, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan Photographer: James Blair/NASA
The Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft is rolled out by train to the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Sunday, May 26, 2013, in Kazakhstan. The launch of the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) with Expedition 36/37 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Flight Engineers; Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, and Karen Nyberg of NASA, is scheduled for Wednesday May 29, Kazakh time. Yurchikhin, Nyberg, and, Parmitano, will remain aboard the station until mid-November. Photo credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
An Orthodox Priest blesses members of the media shortly after having blessed the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome Launch pad on Monday, May 27, 2013 in Kazakhstan. The launch of the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) with Expedition 36/37 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Flight Engineers; Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, and Karen Nyberg of NASA, is scheduled for Wednesday May 29, Kazakh time. Yurchikhin, Nyberg, and, Parmitano, will remain aboard the station until mid-November. Photo credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
An Orthodox Priest blesses members of the media shortly after having blessed the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome Launch pad on Monday, May 27, 2013 in Kazakhstan. The launch of the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) with Expedition 36/37 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Flight Engineers; Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, and Karen Nyberg of NASA, is scheduled for Wednesday May 29, Kazakh time. Yurchikhin, Nyberg, and, Parmitano, will remain aboard the station until mid-November. Photo credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
An Orthodox Priest blesses members of the media shortly after having blessed the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome Launch pad on Monday, May 27, 2013 in Kazakhstan. The launch of the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) with Expedition 36/37 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Flight Engineers; Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, and Karen Nyberg of NASA, is scheduled for Wednesday May 29, Kazakh time. Yurchikhin, Nyberg, and, Parmitano, will remain aboard the station until mid-November. Photo credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
JSC2013-E-026355 (April 2013) --- Expedition 36 backup crew member Rick Mastracchio of NASA poses for a portrait in his Russian Sokol launch and entry suit. Photo credit: Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center
ISS036-E-039045 (29 Aug. 2013) --- NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy, Expedition 36 flight engineer, wearing a Russian Sokol launch and entry suit, poses for a photo in the Columbus laboratory of the International Space Station.
The Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft is seen reflected in the glasses of Expedition 36 backup Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Sunday, May 26, 2013, in Kazakhstan. The launch of the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) with Expedition 36/37 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Flight Engineers; Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, and Karen Nyberg of NASA, is scheduled for Wednesday May 29, Kazakh time. Yurchikhin, Nyberg, and, Parmitano, will remain aboard the station until mid-November. Photo credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
ISS036-E-006695 (8 June 2013) --- Inside the Kibo laboratory of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the six Expedition 36 crew members position themselves for a videotaped tribute to cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, who on June 16 will mark the 50th anniversary of her 1963 launch aboard the Soviet Vostok-6 spacecraft. In the bottom half of the photo, left to right, are Expedition 36 Commander Pavel Vinogradov of Russia's Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and Flight Engineers Karen Nyberg of NASA and Alexander Misurkin of Roscosmos. In the top half of the photo are, left to right, Flight Engineers Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, Chris Cassidy of NASA, and Fyodor Yurchikhin of Roscosmos.
Expedition 36/37 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) holds up posters of his crew during the State Commission meeting at the Cosmonaut Hotel as Expedition 36 Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg of NASA looks on, Monday, May 27, 2013, in Kazakhstan. Yurichikin and his fellow crew members, Flight Engineers; Karen Nyberg of NASA, and Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, were in quarantine and kept behind glass during the meeting in preparation for their launch on a Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday May 29, Kazakh time. Photo credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
ISS036-E-006693 (8 June 2013) --- Inside the Kibo laboratory of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the six Expedition 36 crew members position themselves for a videotaped tribute to cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, who on June 16 will mark the 50th anniversary of her 1963 launch aboard the Soviet Vostok-6 spacecraft. In the bottom half of the photo, left to right, are Expedition 36 Commander Pavel Vinogradov of Russia's Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and Flight Engineers Karen Nyberg of NASA and Alexander Misurkin of Roscosmos. In the top half of the photo are, left to right, Flight Engineers Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, Chris Cassidy of NASA, and Fyodor Yurchikhin of Roscosmos.
JSC2013-E-026356 (April 2013) --- Expedition 36 backup crew member Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) poses for a portrait in his Russian Sokol launch and entry suit. Photo credit: Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center
JSC2013-E-026354 (April 2013) --- Expedition 36 backup crew member Mikhail Tyurin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) poses for a portrait in his Russian Sokol launch and entry suit. Photo credit: Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center
View from the balcony of the Russian Mission Control Center shows the Expedition 31 crew portrait along with a timeline of Soyuz TMA-04M docking events on Thursday, May 17, 2012, in Korolev, Russia. The Soyuz docked to the International Space Station at 8:36 a.m. Moscow time with Expedition 31 Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka, Flight Engineer Sergei Revin, and NASA Flight Engineer Joe Acaba two days after they launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Photo Credit (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The family of Expedition 31 Flight Engineer Joe Acaba sings happy birthday to him from the Russian Mission Control Center in Korolev, Russia, Thursday, May 17, 2012. Acaba, Expedition 31 Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka, and Flight Engineer Sergei Revin, docked their Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft to the space station at 8:36 a.m. Moscow time, two days after they launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
From left, Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg of NASA, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, and Expedition 36/37 backup crew members; Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Mikhail Tyurin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), and Rick Mastracchio of NASA are seen during the crew's press conference at the Cosmonaut Hotel, Monday, May 27, 2013, in Kazakhstan. The crew is in quarantine and behind glass during the press conference in preparation for their launch on a Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday May 29, Kazakh time. Yurchikhin, Nyberg, and, Parmitano, will remain aboard the station until mid-November. Photo credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
ISS036-E-011481 (24 June 2013) --- Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, Expedition 36 flight engineer, participates in a session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as work continues on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 34-minute spacewalk, Yurchikhin and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin (out of frame), Expedition 36 flight engineer, replaced an aging fluid flow control panel on the station's Zarya module as preventative maintenance on the cooling system for the Russian segment of the station. They also installed clamps for future power cables as an early step toward swapping the Pirs airlock with a new multipurpose laboratory module. The Russian Federal Space Agency plans to launch a combination research facility, airlock and docking port late this year on a Proton rocket. Yurchikhin and Misurkin also retrieved two science experiments and installed a new one.
ISS036-E-011439 (24 June 2013) --- Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, Expedition 36 flight engineer, participates in a session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as work continues on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 34-minute spacewalk, Misurkin and Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin (out of frame), Expedition 36 flight engineer, replaced an aging fluid flow control panel on the station's Zarya module as preventative maintenance on the cooling system for the Russian segment of the station. They also installed clamps for future power cables as an early step toward swapping the Pirs airlock with a new multipurpose laboratory module. The Russian Federal Space Agency plans to launch a combination research facility, airlock and docking port late this year on a Proton rocket. Yurchikhin and Misurkin also retrieved two science experiments and installed one new one.
ISS036-E-011608 (24 June 2013) --- Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, Expedition 36 flight engineer, participates in a session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as work continues on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 34-minute spacewalk, Misurkin and Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin (out of frame), Expedition 36 flight engineer, replaced an aging fluid flow control panel on the station's Zarya module as preventative maintenance on the cooling system for the Russian segment of the station. They also installed clamps for future power cables as an early step toward swapping the Pirs airlock with a new multipurpose laboratory module. The Russian Federal Space Agency plans to launch a combination research facility, airlock and docking port late this year on a Proton rocket. Yurchikhin and Misurkin also retrieved two science experiments and installed a new one.
ISS036-E-011441 (24 June 2013) --- Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, Expedition 36 flight engineer, participates in a session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as work continues on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 34-minute spacewalk, Misurkin and Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin (out of frame), Expedition 36 flight engineer, replaced an aging fluid flow control panel on the station's Zarya module as preventative maintenance on the cooling system for the Russian segment of the station. They also installed clamps for future power cables as an early step toward swapping the Pirs airlock with a new multipurpose laboratory module. The Russian Federal Space Agency plans to launch a combination research facility, airlock and docking port late this year on a Proton rocket. Yurchikhin and Misurkin also retrieved two science experiments and installed a new one.
ISS036-E-011459 (24 June 2013) --- Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, Expedition 36 flight engineer, participates in a session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as work continues on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 34-minute spacewalk, Yurchikhin and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin (out of frame), Expedition 36 flight engineer, replaced an aging fluid flow control panel on the station's Zarya module as preventative maintenance on the cooling system for the Russian segment of the station. They also installed clamps for future power cables as an early step toward swapping the Pirs airlock with a new multipurpose laboratory module. The Russian Federal Space Agency plans to launch a combination research facility, airlock and docking port late this year on a Proton rocket. Yurchikhin and Misurkin also retrieved two science experiments and installed a new one.
ISS036-E-011480 (24 June 2013) --- Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, Expedition 36 flight engineer, participates in a session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as work continues on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 34-minute spacewalk, Yurchikhin and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin (out of frame), Expedition 36 flight engineer, replaced an aging fluid flow control panel on the station's Zarya module as preventative maintenance on the cooling system for the Russian segment of the station. They also installed clamps for future power cables as an early step toward swapping the Pirs airlock with a new multipurpose laboratory module. The Russian Federal Space Agency plans to launch a combination research facility, airlock and docking port late this year on a Proton rocket. Yurchikhin and Misurkin also retrieved two science experiments and installed a new one.
ISS036-E-011640 (24 June 2013) --- Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, Expedition 36 flight engineer, participates in a session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as work continues on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 34-minute spacewalk, Misurkin and Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin (out of frame), Expedition 36 flight engineer, replaced an aging fluid flow control panel on the station's Zarya module as preventative maintenance on the cooling system for the Russian segment of the station. They also installed clamps for future power cables as an early step toward swapping the Pirs airlock with a new multipurpose laboratory module. The Russian Federal Space Agency plans to launch a combination research facility, airlock and docking port late this year on a Proton rocket. Yurchikhin and Misurkin also retrieved two science experiments and installed a new one.
ISS036-E-011598 (24 June 2013) --- Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, Expedition 36 flight engineer, participates in a session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as work continues on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 34-minute spacewalk, Misurkin and Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin (out of frame), Expedition 36 flight engineer, replaced an aging fluid flow control panel on the station's Zarya module as preventative maintenance on the cooling system for the Russian segment of the station. They also installed clamps for future power cables as an early step toward swapping the Pirs airlock with a new multipurpose laboratory module. The Russian Federal Space Agency plans to launch a combination research facility, airlock and docking port late this year on a Proton rocket. Yurchikhin and Misurkin also retrieved two science experiments and installed one new one.
ISS036-E-011642 (24 June 2013) --- Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, Expedition 36 flight engineer, participates in a session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as work continues on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 34-minute spacewalk, Misurkin and Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin (out of frame), Expedition 36 flight engineer, replaced an aging fluid flow control panel on the station's Zarya module as preventative maintenance on the cooling system for the Russian segment of the station. They also installed clamps for future power cables as an early step toward swapping the Pirs airlock with a new multipurpose laboratory module. The Russian Federal Space Agency plans to launch a combination research facility, airlock and docking port late this year on a Proton rocket. Yurchikhin and Misurkin also retrieved two science experiments and installed a new one.
ISS036-E-011440 (24 June 2013) --- Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, Expedition 36 flight engineer, participates in a session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as work continues on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 34-minute spacewalk, Misurkin and Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin (out of frame), Expedition 36 flight engineer, replaced an aging fluid flow control panel on the station's Zarya module as preventative maintenance on the cooling system for the Russian segment of the station. They also installed clamps for future power cables as an early step toward swapping the Pirs airlock with a new multipurpose laboratory module. The Russian Federal Space Agency plans to launch a combination research facility, airlock and docking port late this year on a Proton rocket. Yurchikhin and Misurkin also retrieved two science experiments and installed one new one.
From left, Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg of NASA, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, and Expedition 36/37 backup crew members; Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Mikhail Tyurin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), and Rick Mastracchio of NASA are seen during the crew's press conference at the Cosmonaut Hotel, Monday, May 27, 2013, in Kazakhstan. The crew is in quarantine and behind glass during the press conference in preparation for their launch on a Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday May 29, Kazakh time. Yurchikhin, Nyberg, and, Parmitano, will remain aboard the station until mid-November. Photo credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
ISS036-E-011479 (24 June 2013) --- Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, Expedition 36 flight engineer, participates in a session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as work continues on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 34-minute spacewalk, Yurchikhin and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin (out of frame), Expedition 36 flight engineer, replaced an aging fluid flow control panel on the station's Zarya module as preventative maintenance on the cooling system for the Russian segment of the station. They also installed clamps for future power cables as an early step toward swapping the Pirs airlock with a new multipurpose laboratory module. The Russian Federal Space Agency plans to launch a combination research facility, airlock and docking port late this year on a Proton rocket. Yurchikhin and Misurkin also retrieved two science experiments and installed a new one.
ISS036-E-011747 (24 June 2013) --- Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin (bottom center), Expedition 36 flight engineer, participates in a session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as work continues on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 34-minute spacewalk, Misurkin and Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin (out of frame), Expedition 36 flight engineer, replaced an aging fluid flow control panel on the station's Zarya module as preventative maintenance on the cooling system for the Russian segment of the station. They also installed clamps for future power cables as an early step toward swapping the Pirs airlock with a new multipurpose laboratory module. The Russian Federal Space Agency plans to launch a combination research facility, airlock and docking port late this year on a Proton rocket. Yurchikhin and Misurkin also retrieved two science experiments and installed a new one.
ISS036-E-011745 (24 June 2013) --- Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin (bottom center), Expedition 36 flight engineer, participates in a session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as work continues on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 34-minute spacewalk, Misurkin and Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin (out of frame), Expedition 36 flight engineer, replaced an aging fluid flow control panel on the station's Zarya module as preventative maintenance on the cooling system for the Russian segment of the station. They also installed clamps for future power cables as an early step toward swapping the Pirs airlock with a new multipurpose laboratory module. The Russian Federal Space Agency plans to launch a combination research facility, airlock and docking port late this year on a Proton rocket. Yurchikhin and Misurkin also retrieved two science experiments and installed a new one.
At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg of NASA signs a mural depicting a Soyuz rocket launch in the Korolev Museum May 24 following the final “fit check” dress rehearsal before launch. Nyberg, Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency and Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin are preparing for launch May 29, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to begin a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station. NASA/Victor Zelentsov
Expedition 36 European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano is seen waving goodbye to friends and family after boarding the bus that will take him to the Soyuz launch pad hours ahead of his launch, Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Parmitano, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/GCTC/Andrey Shelepin)
Expedition 36 NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg is seen waving goodbye to friends and family after boarding the bus that will take her to the Soyuz launch pad hours ahead of her launch, Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Nyberg, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/GCTC/Andrey Shelepin)
At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency signs a mural depicting a Soyuz rocket launch in the Korolev Museum May 24 following the final “fit check” dress rehearsal before launch. Parmitano, NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg and Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin are preparing for launch May 29, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to begin a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station. NASA/Victor Zelentsov
Inside the Gagarin Museum at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 35/36 Flight Engineer Chris Cassidy of NASA conducts a traditional signing March 23 of a wall-size photo of a Soyuz spacecraft launch, part of the ceremonial pre-launch activities in Baikonur. Cassidy, Soyuz Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Alexander Misurkin are preparing for their launch to the International Space Station on March 29, Kazakh time, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in their Soyuz TMA-08M spacecraft for a 5 ½ month mission on the orbital laboratory. NASA/Victor Zelentsov
Expedition 36 NASA Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked ahead of his launch onboard a Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to the International Space Station, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Yurchikhin, NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg and European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Expedition 36 European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked ahead of his launch onboard a Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to the International Space Station, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Parmitano, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/GCTC/Andrey Shelepin)
Expedition 36 NASA Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked ahead of his launch onboard a Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to the International Space Station, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Yurchikhin, NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg and European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/GCTC/Andrey Shelepin)
Expedition 36 NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg is helped into her Russian Sokol suit as she and fellow crewmates, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano prepare for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Nyberg, Yurchikhin and Parmitano on a five and a half month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/GCTC/Andrey Shelepin)
Expedition 36 European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked ahead of his launch onboard a Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to the International Space Station, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Parmitano, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
In the Integration Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 35-36 Flight Engineer Chris Cassidy of NASA conducts a leak check of his Russian Sokol launch and entry suit March 17 as he runs through a systems dress rehearsal called a “fit check” Cassidy, Soyuz Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Alexander Misurkin are preparing for launch to the International Space Station from Baikonur on March 29, Kazakh time. NASA/Victor Zelentsov
Expedition 36 NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg is seen talking to family members after donning her Russian Sokol suit in preparation for her launch aboard the Soyuz rocket, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Nyberg, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/GCTC/Andrey Shelepin)
NASA’s prime and backup crewmembers for Expedition 35-36 share a quiet moment March 17 during a systems dress rehearsal called a “fit check” at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. NASA Flight Engineer Chris Cassidy (left), Soyuz Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Alexander Misurkin are preparing for launch to the International Space Station from Baikonur on March 29, Kazakh time. Cassidy’s backup, Michael Hopkins (right), is scheduled to launch to the station in September. NASA/Victor Zelentsov
At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 36/37 prime crewmembers Karen Nyberg of NASA (left), Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin (center) and Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (right) check in May 6 for another round of qualification exams as they prepare for launch to the International Space Station. Nyberg, Yurchikhin and Parmitano are set to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in their Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft on May 29, Kazakh time, for a five-month mission. NASA/Stephanie Stoll
Expedition 36 NASA Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked ahead of his launch onboard a Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to the International Space Station, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Yurchikhin, NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg and European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/GCTC/Andrey Shelepin)
Expedition 36 European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano, right, is seen talking to family members after donning his Russian Sokol suit in preparation for his launch aboard the Soyuz rocket, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Parmitano, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg of NASA (left), Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin (center) and Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (right), clasp hands April 30 as they began final qualification training for their launch to the International Space Station. The three crewmembers will launch May 29, Kazakh time, in their Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a 5 ½ month mission on the international outpost. NASA/Stephanie Stoll
At the Gagarin Museum at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 35-36 Flight Engineer Chris Cassidy of NASA (right) signs a ceremonial book March 7 during traditional pre-launch activities as his crewmate, Soyuz Commander Pavel Vinogradov (left) looks on. Cassidy, Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Alexander Misurkin will launch to the International Space Station March 29, Kazakh time, in their Soyuz TMA-08M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosomodrome in Kazakhstan. NASA / Stephanie Stoll
Expedition 36 European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano is seen talking to family members after donning his Russian Sokol suit in preparation for his launch aboard the Soyuz rocket, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Parmitano, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/GCTC/Andrey Shelepin)
Expedition 36 European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked ahead of his launch onboard a Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to the International Space Station, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Parmitano, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/GCTC/Andrey Shelepin)
Expedition 36 NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg is seen as she waits to have her Russian Sokol suit pressure checked ahead of her launch onboard a Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to the International Space Station, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Nyberg, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 35-36 Flight Engineer Chris Cassidy of NASA listens to a question from a reporter during a pre-launch news conference March 7. Cassidy, Soyuz Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Alexander Misurkin are in the final stages of training for their launch to the International Space Station March 29, Kazakh time, in their Soyuz TMA-08M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. NASA / Stephanie Stoll
In the Integration Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency poses with his Russian Sokol launch and entry suit May 17 during a suited dress rehersal “fit check” exercise. Parmitano, Flight Engineer Karen Nybergof NASA and Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin will launch May 29, Kazakh time, in their Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to begin a 5 ½ mission on the International Space Station. NASA/Victor Zelentsov
Expedition 36 NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg, left, and European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano share a word after donning their Russian Sokol suits in preparation for their launch aboard the Soyuz rocket, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Nyberg, Parmitano and Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (right) says goodbye to his daughter May 16 before boarding a bus at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia. Parmitano, Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg of NASA and Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin flew to their launch site at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for final preparations for launch May 29, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft and the start of a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station. NASA/Stephanie Stoll
Expedition 36 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin is seen talking to family members after donning his Russian Sokol suit in preparation for his launch aboard the Soyuz rocket, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Yurchikhin, Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg and European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
In the Integration Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg of NASA poses with her Russian Sokol launch and entry suit May 17 during a suited dress rehersal “fit check” exercise. Nyberg, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency will launch May 29, Kazakh time, in their Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to begin a 5 ½ mission on the International Space Station. NASA/Victor Zelentsov
At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 35-36 backup crewmembers Oleg Kotov (left), Sergey Ryazanskiy (center) and Michael Hopkins of NASA (right) pose for pictures during a pre-launch news conference March 7. The three crewmembers are in training as backups to Chris Cassidy of NASA, Alexander Misurkin and Pavel Vinogradov who are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station March 29, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-08M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. NASA / Stephanie Stoll
Expedition 36 European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano is helped into his Russian Sokol suit as he and fellow crewmates, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg prepare for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Parmitano, Yurchikhin and Nyberg on a five and a half month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/GCTC/Andrey Shelepin)
Expedition 36 European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano is seen talking to family members after donning his Russian Sokol suit in preparation for his launch aboard the Soyuz rocket, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Parmitano, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Expedition 36 NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg has her Russian Sokol suit pressure checked ahead of her launch onboard a Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to the International Space Station, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Nyberg, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/GCTC/Andrey Shelepin)
Expedition 36 NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg is seen talking to family members after donning her Russian Sokol suit in preparation for her launch aboard the Soyuz rocket, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Nyberg, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
In the Integration Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 35-36 Flight Engineer Chris Cassidy of NASA is all business as he conducts a leak check of his Russian Sokol launch and entry suit March 17 during a systems dress rehearsal called a “fit check” Cassidy, Soyuz Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Alexander Misurkin are preparing for launch to the International Space Station from Baikonur on March 29, Kazakh time. NASA/Victor Zelentsov
Expedition 36 NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg is helped into her Russian Sokol suit as she and fellow crewmates, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano prepare for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Nyberg, Yurchikhin and Parmitano on a five and a half month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/GCTC/Andrey Shelepin)
At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg (left), Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin (center) and Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (right) pose for pictures at the Cosmonautics Museum May 8 as part of their pre-launch activities. Nyberg, Yurchikhin and Parmitano are preparing for their launch May 29, Kazakh time, in their Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a six-month mission on the International Space Station. NASA/Stephanie Stoll
Expedition 36 NASA Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked ahead of his launch onboard a Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to the International Space Station, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Yurchikhin, NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg and European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
At the airport in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg of NASA (far right on the left) Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin (far right in the center) and Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (far right on the right) are greeted by local residents May 16 as they arrived at the launch site for final preparations for their launch May 29, Kazakh time, in their Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to begin a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station. NASA/Victor Zelentsov
Expedition 36 NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg is seen talking to family members after donning her Russian Sokol suit in preparation for her launch aboard the Soyuz rocket, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Nyberg, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Expedition 36 European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked ahead of his launch onboard a Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to the International Space Station, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Parmitano, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
At the airport in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg of NASA (left) Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin (center) and Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (right) are greeted by Russian space officials May 16 as they arrived at the launch site for final preparations for their launch May 29, Kazakh time, in their Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to begin a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station. NASA/Victor Zelentsov
At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg of NASA (left), Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (center) and Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin (right) listen to a question during a pre-launch news conference May 8. The three crewmembers are preparing for their launch May 29, Kazakh time, in their Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a six-month mission on the International Space Station. NASA/Stephanie Stoll
Expedition 36 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin is seen talking to family members after donning his Russian Sokol suit in preparation for his launch aboard the Soyuz rocket, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Yurchikhin, Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg and European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/GCTC/Andrey Shelepin)
At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg of NASA (left), Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin (center) and Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (right) flash a thumbs up May 8 following a pre-launch news conference. The three crewmembers are preparing for their launch May 29, Kazakh time, in their Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a six-month mission on the International Space Station. NASA/Stephanie Stoll
Expedition 36 NASA Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked ahead of his launch onboard a Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to the International Space Station, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Yurchikhin, NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg and European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Expedition 36 European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked ahead of his launch onboard a Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to the International Space Station, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Parmitano, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/GCTC/Andrey Shelepin)
Expedition 36 European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano is helped into his Russian Sokol suit as he and fellow crewmates, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg prepare for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Parmitano, Yurchikhin and Nyberg on a five and a half month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/GCTC/Andrey Shelepin)
Expedition 36 NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg has her Russian Sokol suit pressure checked ahead of her launch onboard a Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to the International Space Station, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Nyberg, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
In the Integration Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 35-36 Flight Engineer Chris Cassidy of NASA has a playful moment with his Russian Sokol launch and entry suit March 17 during a systems dress rehearsal called a “fit check”. Cassidy, Soyuz Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Alexander Misurkin are preparing for launch to the International Space Station from Baikonur on March 29, Kazakh time. NASA/Victor Zelentsov
At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 35-36 prime crewmembers Chris Cassidy of NASA (left), Alexander Misurkin (center) and Soyuz Commander Pavel Vinogradov (right) listen to questions from reporters March 7 during a pre-launch news conference. The three crewmembers are in the final stages of training for their launch to the International Space Station March 29, Kazakh time, in their Soyuz TMA-08M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan NASA / Stephanie Stoll
At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg of NASA signs in for the start of final qualification training April 30 as she and her crewmates prepare for their launch May 29, Kazakh time, in their Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Nyberg is launching with Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency for a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station. NASA/Stephanie Stoll
At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg of NASA (left), Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin (center) and Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (right) pose for pictures in front of their Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft May 24 as they complete the second “fit check” dress rehearsal in advance of their launch. Nyberg , Yurchikhin and Parmitano are preparing for launch May 29, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz to begin a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station. NASA/Victor Zelentsov
At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg of NASA (left), Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin (center) and Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (right) pose for pictures in the Korolev Museum May 24 following the final “fit check” dress rehearsal before launch. Nyberg, Yurchikhin and Parmitano are preparing for launch May 29, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to begin a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station. NASA/Victor Zelentsov
Expedition 36 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin is seen talking to family members after donning his Russian Sokol suit in preparation for his launch aboard the Soyuz rocket, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Yurchikhin, Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg and European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/GCTC/Andrey Shelepin)
At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency flashes a smile April 30 as he and his crewmates began final qualification training for their launch to the International Space Station. Parmitano, Karen Nyberg of NASA and Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin will launch May 29, Kazakh time, in their Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a 5 ½ month mission on the international outpost. NASA/Stephanie Stoll
Expedition 36 European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked ahead of his launch onboard a Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to the International Space Station, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Parmitano, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Expedition 36 European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked ahead of his launch onboard a Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to the International Space Station, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Parmitano, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Expedition 36 NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg ,left, and European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano are seen talking to family members after donning their Russian Sokol suits in preparation for their launch aboard the Soyuz rocket, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Nyberg, Parmitano and Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Expedition 36 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin is seen talking to family members after donning his Russian Sokol suit in preparation for his launch aboard the Soyuz rocket, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Yurchikhin, Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg and European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Expedition 36 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin is seen talking to family members after donning his Russian Sokol suit in preparation for his launch aboard the Soyuz rocket, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Yurchikhin, Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg and European Space Agency Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/GCTC/Andrey Shelepin)
Expedition 36 NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg,left, and European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano are seen talking to family members after donning their Russian Sokol suits in preparation for their launch aboard the Soyuz rocket, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Nyberg, Parmitano and Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
With the famed Tsar Bell in the background, Expedition 35-36 Flight Engineer Chris Cassidy of NASA posed for pictures March 7 during a traditional tour of the Kremlin and Red Square in Moscow. Cassidy, Soyuz Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Alexander Misurkin are preparing for launch to the International Space Station March 29, Kazakh time, in their Soyuz TMA-08M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. NASA / Stephanie Stoll
Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, a major in the Italian Air Force, salutes in tribute to Russian space icons interred in the Kremlin Wall during a tour of Red Square and the Kremlin in Moscow May 8. Parmitano, Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg of NASA and Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin are preparing for their launch May 29, Kazakh time, in their Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a six-month mission on the International Space Station. NASA/Stephanie Stoll
Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg of NASA looks out from the bus that will cary her and fellow crew members; Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), and Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency from the Cosmonaut Hotel to building 254 where they will don their Sokol suits in preparation for their launch onboard a Soyuz rocket, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Photo credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Family, friends and colleagues watch and photograph Expedition 36/37 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Flight Engineers; Karen Nyberg of NASA, and Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency as they depart the Cosmonaut Hotel, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Yurichikin, Nyberg, Parmitano were departing the hotel in preparation for their launch on a Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday May 29, Kazakh time. Photo credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
With famed St. Basil’s Cathedral serving as a backdrop, Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg of NASA (left), Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin (center) and Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (right) pose for pictures May 8 during a ceremonial tour of Red Square in Moscow. Nyberg, Yurchikhin and Parmitano are preparing for their launch May 29, Kazakh time, in their Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a six-month mission on the International Space Station. NASA/Stephanie Stoll