The H-IIA No. 23 rocket that will carry the GPM Core Observatory into space arrived at Tanegashima Space Center on Jan. 20, 2014. The rocket has two stages, an lower first stage that, with the help of two solid rocket boosters gets them off the ground, and an upper second stage that lights up a few minutes after launch to boost the satellite the rest of the way to orbit. The launch services provider, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), immediately began assembling the rocket. On Jan. 22, the GPM team in Tanegashima was invited to participate in a blessing ceremony for the rocket. Lynette Marbley, the Instruments Chief Safety and Mission Assurance Officer for GPM, represented the NASA team.

Russian Orthodox Priest Father Sergei blesses mission support personnel at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad after having blessed the Soyuz rocket, Thursday, April 8, 2021, in Kazakhstan. Expedition 65 NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Oleg Novitskiy are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft on April 9. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Russian Orthodox Priest Father Sergei blesses mission support personnel at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad after having blessed the Soyuz rocket, Thursday, April 8, 2021, in Kazakhstan. Expedition 65 NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Oleg Novitskiy are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft on April 9. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev, center, is blessed by Bishop Ignatii of Kyzylorda and Aktobe, during a traditional blessing of the Soyuz rocket and personnel, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, at the at the Baikonur Cosmodrome site 31 launch pad in Kazakhstan. Expedition 72 crew members: NASA astronaut Don Pettit, Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner, are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft on September 11. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Russian Orthodox Priest, Father Sergei, blesses members of the media after having blessed the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 57 crewmembers Nick Hague of NASA and Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos are scheduled to launch on October 11 and will spend the next six months living and working aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Russian Orthodox Priest, Father Sergei, blesses members of the media after having blessed the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 57 crewmembers Nick Hague of NASA and Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos are scheduled to launch on October 11 and will spend the next six months living and working aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Russian Orthodox Priest, Father Sergei, blesses members of the media after having blessed the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 57 crewmembers Nick Hague of NASA and Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos are scheduled to launch on October 11 and will spend the next six months living and working aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 41 Soyuz Commander Alexander Samokutyaev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), right, receives the traditional blessing from a Russian Orthodox priest at the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to his launch on the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS), Thursday, Sept. 25, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Samokutyaev, Flight Engineer Elena Serova of Roscosmos, left, and Flight Engineer Barry Wilmore of NASA, not pictured, will spend the next five and a half months living and working aboard the ISS. Wilmore chose not to participate in the blessing. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Expedition 41 Flight Engineer Elena Serova of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), left, receives the traditional blessing from a Russian Orthodox priest at the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to her launch on the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS), Thursday, Sept. 25, 2014, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. She and fellow crew mates, Soyuz Commander Alexander Samokutyaev of Roscosmos, right, and Flight Engineer Barry Wilmore of NASA, not pictured, will spend the next five and a half months living and working aboard the ISS. Wilmore chose not to participate in the blessing. Serova will become the fourth Russian woman to fly in space and the first Russian woman to live and work on the station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Russian Orthodox Priest, Father Sergei, walks over to bless the media after having blessed the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 57 crewmembers Nick Hague of NASA and Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos are scheduled to launch on October 11 and will spend the next six months living and working aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

An Orthodox priest blesses members of the media shortly after blessing the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome Launch pad on Monday, May 14, 2012 in Kazakhstan. The launch of the Soyuz spacecraft with Expedition 31 Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Sergei Revin of Russia, and prime NASA Flight Engineer Joe Acaba is scheduled for 9:01 a.m. local time on Tuesday, May 15. Photo Credit (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

An Orthodox priest blesses members of the media shortly after blessing the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome Launch pad on Monday, May 14, 2012 in Kazakhstan. The launch of the Soyuz spacecraft with Expedition 31 Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Sergei Revin of Russia, and prime NASA Flight Engineer Joe Acaba is scheduled for 9:01 a.m. local time on Tuesday, May 15. Photo Credit (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Russian Orthodox Priest, Father Sergei, blesses members of the media after having blessed the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 57 crewmembers Nick Hague of NASA and Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos are scheduled to launch on October 11 and will spend the next six months living and working aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 59 backup crewmember Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos is blessed by a Russian Orthodox Priest in the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to departing for the prime crew's launch on a Soyuz rocket, Thursday, March 14, 2019 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 59 crewmembers Nick Hague and Christina Koch of NASA, along with Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos launched March 14, U.S. time, on the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for a six-and-a-half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Russian Orthodox Bishop Ignatii blesses the Soyuz rocket, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad in Kazakhstan. Expedition 68 astronaut Frank Rubio of NASA, and cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin of Roscosmos are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft on Sept. 21. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls}

A Russian Orthodox Priest blesses the Soyuz Rocket and personnel, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad 31 in Kazakhstan. Expedition 70 NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara, Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, and Nikolai Chub are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft on Sept. 15. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

A Russian Orthodox Priest blesses the Soyuz Rocket and personnel, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad 31 in Kazakhstan. Expedition 70 NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara, Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, and Nikolai Chub are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft on Sept. 15. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA astronaut Don Pettit receives the traditional blessing at the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to departing for suit-up and launch on a Soyuz rocket with fellow crew mates, Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The launch will send Pettit, Ovchinin, and Vagner on a mission to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 61 cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos is blessed by a Russian Orthodox Priest in the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to departing for launch on a Soyuz rocket with Expedition 61 astronaut Jessica Meir of NASA, and spaceflight participant Hazzaa Ali Almansoori of the United Arab Emirates Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Meir, Skripochka, and Almansoori will launch later in the day on the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 59 astronaut Nick Hague of NASA is blessed by a Russian Orthodox Priest in the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to departing for launch on a Soyuz rocket with Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos, and Christina Koch of NASA, Thursday, March 14, 2019 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Hague, Koch, and Ovchinin will launch March 14, U.S. time, on the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for a six-and-a-half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Russian Orthodox Bishop Ignatii blesses the Soyuz rocket, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad in Kazakhstan. Expedition 68 astronaut Frank Rubio of NASA, and cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin of Roscosmos are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft on Sept. 21. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls}

A Russian Orthodox Priest blesses the Soyuz Rocket and personnel, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad 31 in Kazakhstan. Expedition 70 NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara, Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, and Nikolai Chub are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft on Sept. 15. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Roscosmos cosmonaut Ivan Vagner receives the traditional blessing at the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to departing for suit-up and launch on a Soyuz rocket with fellow crew mates, Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin, and NASA astronaut Don Pettit, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The launch will send Pettit, Ovchinin, and Vagner on a mission to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Russian Orthodox Bishop Ignatii blesses the Soyuz rocket, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad in Kazakhstan. Expedition 68 astronaut Frank Rubio of NASA, and cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin of Roscosmos are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft on Sept. 21. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls}

Russian Orthodox Bishop Ignatii blesses the Soyuz rocket, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad in Kazakhstan. Expedition 68 astronaut Frank Rubio of NASA, and cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin of Roscosmos are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft on Sept. 21. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls}

Expedition 59 astronaut Christina Koch of NASA is blessed by a Russian Orthodox Priest in the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to departing for launch on a Soyuz rocket with Nick Hague of NASA, and Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos, Thursday, March 14, 2019 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Hague, Koch, and Ovchinin will launch March 14, U.S. time, on the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for a six-and-a-half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 61 backup crewmember Sergei Ryzhikov of Roscosmos is blessed by a Russian Orthodox Priest in the Cosmonaut Hotel Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 61 prime crewmembers Jessica Meir of NASA and Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos, and spaceflight participant Hazzaa Ali Almansoori of the United Arab Emirates will launch later in the day on the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin receives the traditional blessing at the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to departing for suit-up and launch on a Soyuz rocket with fellow crew mates, Roscosmos cosmonaut Ivan Vagner, and NASA astronaut Don Pettit, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The launch will send Pettit, Ovchinin, and Vagner on a mission to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 59 cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos is blessed by a Russian Orthodox Priest in the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to departing for launch on a Soyuz rocket with Nick Hague, and Christina Koch of NASA, Thursday, March 14, 2019 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Hague, Koch, and Ovchinin will launch March 14, U.S. time, on the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for a six-and-a-half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 59 backup crewmember Drew Morgan of NASA is blessed by a Russian Orthodox Priest in the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to departing for the prime crew's launch on a Soyuz rocket, Thursday, March 14, 2019 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 59 crewmembers Nick Hague and Christina Koch of NASA, along with Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos launched March 14, U.S. time, on the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for a six-and-a-half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

A Russian Orthodox Priest blesses the Soyuz Rocket and personnel, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad 31 in Kazakhstan. Expedition 70 NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara, Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, and Nikolai Chub are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft on Sept. 15. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 61 astronaut Jessica Meir of NASA is blessed by a Russian Orthodox Priest in the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to departing for launch on a Soyuz rocket with Expedition 61 cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos, and spaceflight participant Hazzaa Ali Almansoori of the United Arab Emirates Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Meir, Skripochka, and Almansoori will launch later in the day on the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Russian Orthodox Bishop Ignatii blesses the Soyuz rocket, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad in Kazakhstan. Expedition 68 astronaut Frank Rubio of NASA, and cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin of Roscosmos are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft on Sept. 21. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls}

Expedition 61 backup crewmember Thomas Marshburn of NASA is blessed by a Russian Orthodox Priest in the Cosmonaut Hotel Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 61 prime crewmembers Jessica Meir of NASA and Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos, and spaceflight participant Hazzaa Ali Almansoori of the United Arab Emirates will launch later in the day on the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Russian Orthodox Priest blesses the Soyuz rocket, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Expedition 74 crewmembers: NASA astronaut Chris Williams, Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev, are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft on November 27. Photo Credit: (NASA/Victor Zelentsov)

Russian Orthodox Priest blesses the Soyuz rocket, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Expedition 74 crewmembers: NASA astronaut Chris Williams, Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev, are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft on November 27. Photo Credit: (NASA/Victor Zelentsov)

Russian Orthodox Priest blesses the Soyuz rocket, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Expedition 74 crewmembers: NASA astronaut Chris Williams, Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev, are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft on November 27. Photo Credit: (NASA/Victor Zelentsov)

Expedition 51 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of Roscosmos, left, receives the traditional blessing from a Russian Orthodox priest at the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to his launch on the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS), Thursday, April 20, 2017, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. He and fellow crew mate, Flight Engineer Jack Fischer of NASA, right, will spend the next four and a half months living and working aboard the ISS. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

An Orthodox priest blesses the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2014, in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for Sept. 26 and will carry Expedition 41 Soyuz Commander Alexander Samokutyaev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Flight Engineer Barry Wilmore of NASA, and Flight Engineer Elena Serova of Roscosmos into orbit to begin their five and a half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Bishop Ignatii of Kyzylorda and Aktobe blesses the Soyuz rocket, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome site 31 launch in Kazakhstan. Expedition 72 crew members: NASA astronaut Don Pettit, Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner, are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft on September 11. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

An Orthodox priest is seen after he blessed the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome Launch pad on Monday, Oct. 22, 2012 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for October 23 and will send Expedition 33/34 Flight Engineer Kevin Ford of NASA, Soyuz Commander Oleg Novitskiy and Flight Engineer Evgeny Tarelkin of ROSCOSMOS on a five-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Russian Orthodox Priest, Father Sergei, left, blesses the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 57 crewmembers Nick Hague of NASA and Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos are scheduled to launch on October 11 and will spend the next six months living and working aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Bishop Ignatii of Kyzylorda and Aktobe gives blessings to personnel and the Soyuz rocket, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome site 31 launch in Kazakhstan. Expedition 72 crew members: NASA astronaut Don Pettit, Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner, are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft on September 11. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 58 Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos, center, receives the traditional blessing from a Russian Orthodox priest at the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to his launch on the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS), Monday, Dec. 3, 2018, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. He and fellow crewmates, Flight Engineer David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and Flight Engineer Anne McClain of NASA will spend the next six and a half months living and working aboard the ISS. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Expedition 72 crew members: NASA astronaut Don Pettit, left, Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner, right, receive the traditional blessing at the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to departing for suit-up and launch on a Soyuz rocket, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The launch will send Pettit, Ovchinin, and Vagner on a mission to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

An Orthodox priest blesses members of the media at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2014, in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for Nov. 24 and will carry Expedition 42 Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA , and Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency into orbit to begin their five and a half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Expedition 58 Flight Engineer Anne McClain of NASA, left, receives the traditional blessing from a Russian Orthodox priest at the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to her launch on the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS), Monday, Dec. 3, 2018, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. She and fellow crewmates, Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) will spend the next six and a half months living and working aboard the ISS. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

An Orthodox priest blesses the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome Launch pad on Monday, Oct. 22, 2012 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for October 23 and will send Expedition 33/34 Flight Engineer Kevin Ford of NASA, Soyuz Commander Oleg Novitskiy and Flight Engineer Evgeny Tarelkin of ROSCOSMOS on a five-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

An Orthodox priest blesses the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad on Saturday Nov. 22, 2014, in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for Nov. 24 and will carry Expedition 42 Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA , and Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency into orbit to begin their five and a half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Russian Orthodox Priest, Father Sergei, blesses mission managers and the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 57 crewmembers Nick Hague of NASA and Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos are scheduled to launch on October 11 and will spend the next six months living and working aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

An Orthodox priest blesses the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad on Saturday Nov. 22, 2014, in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for Nov. 24 and will carry Expedition 42 Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA , and Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency into orbit to begin their five and a half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Russian Orthodox Priest, Father Sergei, blesses mission managers and the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 57 crewmembers Nick Hague of NASA and Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos are scheduled to launch on October 11 and will spend the next six months living and working aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

An Orthodox priest blesses members of the media next to the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome Launch pad on Monday, Oct. 22, 2012 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for October 23 and will send Expedition 33/34 Flight Engineer Kevin Ford of NASA, Soyuz Commander Oleg Novitskiy and Flight Engineer Evgeny Tarelkin of ROSCOSMOS on a five-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 59 backup crewmember Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency is blessed by a Russian Orthodox Priest in the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to departing for the prime crew's launch on a Soyuz rocket, Thursday, March 14, 2019 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 59 crewmembers Nick Hague and Christina Koch of NASA, along with Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos launched March 14, U.S. time, on the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for a six-and-a-half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

An Orthodox priest blesses the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome Launch pad on Monday, Oct. 22, 2012 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for October 23 and will send Expedition 33/34 Flight Engineer Kevin Ford of NASA, Soyuz Commander Oleg Novitskiy and Flight Engineer Evgeny Tarelkin of ROSCOSMOS on a five-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 58 Flight Engineer David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), right, receives the traditional blessing from a Russian Orthodox priest at the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to his launch on the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS), Monday, Dec. 3, 2018, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. He and fellow crewmates, Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer Anne McClain of NASA, will spend the next six and a half months living and working aboard the ISS. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Bishop Ignatii of Kyzylorda and Aktobe, front center, blesses the Soyuz rocket as Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Novitsky, back left, and Oleg Artemyev, back right, look on, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome site 31 launch pad in Kazakhstan. Expedition 72 crew members: NASA astronaut Don Pettit, Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner, are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft on September 11. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Head of Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center operations team in Baikonur and former cosmonaut Valery Korzun is blessed by Russian Orthodox Priest Father Sergei at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 61 crew members Jessica Meir of NASA and Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos, and spaceflight participant Hazzaa Ali Almansoori of the United Arab Emirates will launch September 25th on the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, front row left, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritskiy receive the traditional blessing at the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to departing for suit-up and launch on a Soyuz rocket, Tuesday, April 8, 2025 (April 7 Eastern Time), in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The launch will send Kim, Ryzhikov, Zubritskiy on a mission to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Expedition 51 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of Roscosmos, left, and Flight Engineer Jack Fischer of NASA, right, receive the traditional blessing from a Russian Orthodox priest at the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to their launch on the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS), Thursday, April 20, 2017, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Yurchikhin and Fischer will spend the next four and a half months living and working aboard the ISS. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

An Orthodox priest blesses a worker near the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome Launch pad on Monday, Oct. 22, 2012 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for October 23 and will send Expedition 33/34 Flight Engineer Kevin Ford of NASA, Soyuz Commander Oleg Novitskiy and Flight Engineer Evgeny Tarelkin of ROSCOSMOS on a five-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

An Orthodox priest blesses members of the media at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2014, in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for Sept. 26 and will carry Expedition 41 Soyuz Commander Alexander Samokutyaev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Flight Engineer Barry Wilmore of NASA, and Flight Engineer Elena Serova of Roscosmos into orbit to begin their five and a half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Expedition 51 Flight Engineer Jack Fischer of NASA, right, receives the traditional blessing from a Russian Orthodox priest at the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to his launch on the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS), Thursday, April 20, 2017, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. He and fellow crew mate, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of Roscosmos, left, will spend the next four and a half months living and working aboard the ISS. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Bishop Ignatii of Kyzylorda and Aktobe, center, prepares to bless the Soyuz rocket as Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev, left, looks on, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome site 31 launch pad in Kazakhstan. Expedition 72 crew members: NASA astronaut Don Pettit, Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner, are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft on September 11. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

American spaceflight participant Richard Garriott, left, Expedition 18 Flight Engineer Yuri V. Lonchakov and Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke, right, participate in the traditional blessing prior to the bus ride to building 254 where the crew don their spacesuits, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan carrying Fincke, Lonchakov and Garriott. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Russian Orthodox Priest Father Sergei blesses the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Thursday, March 14, 2019 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 59 astronauts Nick Hague and Christina Koch of NASA, along with Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos will launch later in the day, U.S. time, on the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for a six-and-a-half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

American spaceflight participant Richard Garriott, left, Expedition 18 Flight Engineer Yuri V. Lonchakov and Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke, right, participate in the traditional blessing prior to the bus ride to building 254 where the crew don their spacesuits, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan carrying Fincke, Lonchakov and Garriott. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

An Orthodox priest talks to members of the press just after having blessed the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome Launch pad on Monday, May 14, 2012 in Kazakhstan. The launch of the Soyuz spacecraft with Expedition 31 Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Sergei Revin of Russia, and prime NASA Flight Engineer Joe Acaba is scheduled for 9:01 a.m. local time on Tuesday, May 15. Photo Credit (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

From left to right, Expedition 58 Flight Engineer Anne McClain of NASA, Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), receive the traditional blessing from a Russian Orthodox priest at the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to their launch on the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS), Monday, Dec. 3, 2018, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. They will spend the next six and a half months living and working aboard the ISS. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

An Orthodox priest blesses the media at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad on Wednesday, April 19, 2017 in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for April 20 Baikonur time and will carry Expedition 51 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of Roscosmos and Flight Engineer Jack Fischer of NASA into orbit to begin their four and a half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

An Orthodox priest blesses the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome Launch pad on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013 in Kazakhstan. The launch of the Soyuz spacecraft with Expedition 38 Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos, Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and, Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA, is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 7. Photo Credit (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Russian Orthodox Priest Father Sergei blesses the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Thursday, April 8, 2021 in Kazakhstan. Expedition 65 NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Oleg Novitskiy are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft on April 9. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

An Orthodox priest hands out Easter eggs to the media at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad after blessing the Soyuz rocket on Wednesday, April 19, 2017 in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for April 20 Baikonur time and will carry Expedition 51 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of Roscosmos and Flight Engineer Jack Fischer of NASA into orbit to begin their four and a half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Novitsky, left, and Oleg Artemyev, participate in the traditional blessing by Bishop Ignatii of Kyzylorda and Aktobe, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome site 31 launch pad in Kazakhstan. Expedition 72 crew members: NASA astronaut Don Pettit, Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner, are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft on September 11. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Russian Orthodox Priest Father Sergei blesses mission management at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Thursday, March 14, 2019 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 59 astronauts Nick Hague and Christina Koch of NASA, along with Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos will launch later in the day, U.S. time, on the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for a six-and-a-half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

An Orthodox priest blesses the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad on Wednesday, April 19, 2017 in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for April 20 Baikonur time and will carry Expedition 51 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of Roscosmos and Flight Engineer Jack Fischer of NASA into orbit to begin their four and a half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

An Orthodox priest blesses the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad on Wednesday, April 19, 2017 in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for April 20 Baikonur time and will carry Expedition 51 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of Roscosmos and Flight Engineer Jack Fischer of NASA into orbit to begin their four and a half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Bishop Ignatii of Kyzylorda and Aktobe blesses the Soyuz rocket, as Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev takes a photograph, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome site 31 launch in Kazakhstan. Expedition 72 crew members: NASA astronaut Don Pettit, Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner, are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft on September 11. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Bishop Ignatii of Kyzylorda and Aktobe blesses the Soyuz rocket, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome site 31 launch in Kazakhstan. Expedition 72 crew members: NASA astronaut Don Pettit, Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner, are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft on September 11. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Russian Orthodox Priest Father Sergei blesses members of the media at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Thursday, March 14, 2019 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 59 astronauts Nick Hague and Christina Koch of NASA, along with Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos will launch later in the day, U.S. time, on the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for a six-and-a-half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Russian Orthodox Priest Father Sergei blesses the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Thursday, April 8, 2021 in Kazakhstan. Expedition 65 NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Oleg Novitskiy are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft on April 9. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Russian Orthodox Priest Father Sergei blesses the Soyuz rocket and members of the media at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 61 crew members Jessica Meir of NASA and Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos, and spaceflight participant Hazzaa Ali Almansoori of the United Arab Emirates will launch September 25th on the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Bishop Ignatii of Kyzylorda and Aktobe blesses the Soyuz rocket, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome site 31 launch in Kazakhstan. Expedition 72 crew members: NASA astronaut Don Pettit, Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner, are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft on September 11. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Russian Orthodox Priest Father Sergei blesses the Soyuz rocket and members of the media at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 61 crew members Jessica Meir of NASA and Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos, and spaceflight participant Hazzaa Ali Almansoori of the United Arab Emirates will launch September 25th on the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 35 NASA Flight Engineer Chris Cassidy, left, receives the traditional blessing from a Russian Orthodox priest at the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to his launch on the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station, Thursday, March 28, 2013, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Cassidy, Soyuz Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Russian Flight Engineer Alexander Misurkin will spend five and a half-months living and working aboard the ISS. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

Expedition 35 Russian Flight Engineer Alexander Misurkin, third from left, receives the traditional blessing from a Russian Orthodox priest at the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to his launch on the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station, Thursday, March 28, 2013, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Misurkin, Soyuz Commander Pavel Vinogradov and NASA Flight Engineer Chris Cassidy will spend five and a half-months living and working aboard the ISS. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

Russian Orthodox Priest Father Sergei blesses members of the media at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Thursday, March 14, 2019 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 59 astronauts Nick Hague and Christina Koch of NASA, along with Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos will launch later in the day, U.S. time, on the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for a six-and-a-half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 35 Soyuz Commander Pavel Vinogradov, second from left, receives the traditional blessing from a Russian Orthodox priest at the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to his launch on the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station, Thursday, March 28, 2013, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Vinogradov, NASA Flight Engineer Chris Cassidy and Russian Flight Engineer Alexander Misurkin will spend five and a half-months living and working aboard the ISS. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

An Orthodox priest blesses the media at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad on Wednesday, April 19, 2017 in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for April 20 Baikonur time and will carry Expedition 51 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of Roscosmos and Flight Engineer Jack Fischer of NASA into orbit to begin their four and a half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Victor Zelentsov)

An Orthodox priest blesses the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome Launch pad on Monday, May 14, 2012 in Kazakhstan. The launch of the Soyuz spacecraft with Expedition 31 Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Sergei Revin of Russia, and prime NASA Flight Engineer Joe Acaba is scheduled for 9:01 a.m. local time on Tuesday, May 15. Photo Credit (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Russian Orthodox Priest Father Sergei blesses the Soyuz rocket and members of the media at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 61 crew members Jessica Meir of NASA and Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos, and spaceflight participant Hazzaa Ali Almansoori of the United Arab Emirates will launch September 25th on the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

American spaceflight participant Richard Garriott, left, Expedition 18 Flight Engineer Yuri V. Lonchakov and Expedition 18 Commander Michael Fincke, right, participate in the traditional blessing prior to the bus ride to building 254 where the crew don their spacesuits, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan carrying Fincke, Lonchakov and Garriott. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Russian Orthodox Priest Father Sergei blesses the Soyuz rocket and members of the media at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 61 crew members Jessica Meir of NASA and Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos, and spaceflight participant Hazzaa Ali Almansoori of the United Arab Emirates will launch September 25th on the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Russian Orthodox Priest Father Sergei blesses the Expedition 61 prime and backup crews in the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to the crew departing for launch on a Soyuz rocket with Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 61 crewmembers Jessica Meir of NASA and Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos, and spaceflight participant Hazzaa Ali Almansoori of the United Arab Emirates will launch later in the day on the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome to the International Space Station. 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)

An Orthodox priest blesses members of the media shortly after blessing the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome Launch pad on Friday, July 13, 2012 in Kazakhstan. The launch of the Soyuz spacecraft with Expedition 32 Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko, NASA Flight Engineer Sunita Williams and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Flight Engineer Akihiko Hoshide is scheduled for the morning of Sunday, July 15, local time. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

An Orthodox priest blesses members of the media shortly after blessing the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad on Wednesday, March 27, 2013 in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for March 29 and will send Expedition 35 Soyuz Commander Pavel Vinogradov, and Flight Engineers Chris Cassidy of NASA and Alexander Misurkin of Russia on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

An Orthodox Priest approaches members of the media at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad after blessing members of mission management and the Soyuz rocket, Friday, July 19, 2019 in Kazakhstan. Expedition 60 Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos, flight engineer Andrew Morgan of NASA, and flight engineer Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency) are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft on July 20. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)