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11-04-30: At the Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, the Expedition 40/41 prime and backup crewmembers raise the flags of Russia, the United States, Germany and Kazakhstan during traditional ceremonies May 17. From left to right are prime Soyuz Commander Max Suraev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and his backup, Anton Shkaplerov, prime Flight Engineer Reid Wiseman of NASA and his backup, NASA’s Terry Virts, prime Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst of Germany and the European Space Agency and backup Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency. Wiseman, Suraev and Gerst will launch from Baikonur on May 29, Kazakh time, on the Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft for a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station. NASA/Victor Zelentsov

11-04-30: At the Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, the Expedition 40/41 prime and backup crewmembers raise the flags of Russia, the United States, Germany and Kazakhstan during traditional ceremonies May 17. From left to right are prime Soyuz Commander Max Suraev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and his backup, Anton Shkaplerov, prime Flight Engineer Reid Wiseman of NASA and his backup, NASA’s Terry Virts, prime Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst of Germany and the European Space Agency and backup Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency. Wiseman, Suraev and Gerst will launch from Baikonur on May 29, Kazakh time, on the Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft for a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station. NASA/Victor Zelentsov

Photographer Victor Zelentsov