Today, on May 26, space rocket going to orbit Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft with ISS-40/41 mission crew onboard on May 28 was installed on #1 launching pad (“Gagarin launch”). The crew comprises Roscosmos cosmonaut Maksim Surayev, NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman and ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst.
The roll-out and installation of the rocket took place in accordance with the work plan of Baikonur spaceport. The transportation of the space rocket from integration building of #1 launching pad started at 07.00 local time, when the booster was delivered to Gagarin launch pad the specialists started working on rocket installation and filled the booster with propellant components.
According to the longstanding tradition back-up crew watched these prelaunch events. Apart from back-up crew members Anton Shkaplerov (Roscosmos), Samantha Christoforetti (ESA) Terry Virts (NASA) crew members’ families as well as space agencies and space industries representatives and journalists came to watch the roll-out of the rocket.
All works on rocket roll-out and installation were accomplished nominally and in accordance with the time schedule.
