Last week main and back-up crews of ISS-43/44 mission started passing exams. The main crew comprises Roscosmos cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Mikhail Korniyenko and NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, the back-up crew – Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and NASA astronaut Geffrey Williams.

February 20 is one of the most space-related days of the year since three cosmonauts celebrate their birthdays on this date: Alexander Aleksandrov, Vasiliy Tsibliyev and Anton Shkaplerov.

On February 17 rocket and space industry specialists successfully launched Progress M-26M cargo vehicle that delivered the ISS propellant, oxygen, foodstuff, scientific equipment and parcels for crew members. This launch started 2015 ISS flight program and the specialists are already accomplishing preparation works for the future launches.

From January 19 up to February 9, 2015 GCTC is conducting winter survival trainings for future ISS mission crews.

In the framework of preparations for 70th Anniversary of the Great Victory Celebration Roscosmos plans to send an exact copy of the victory Banner to the ISS (the copy of the banner raised by the 150th Rifle 'Idritskaya' Division soldiers on the Reichstag building in Berlin on May 1, 1945.

Russian space agency Roscosmos reported that a caustic element from an air conditioning unit in the American segment of the International Space Station was discharged into the station’s atmosphere.

Works for the next manned launch planned for March 27 started at Baikonur spaceport, - Roscosmos reports. By launching Soyuz TMA-15M spacecraft from Baikonur on November 24 Roscosmos successfully finished manned launch program for 2014.

On November 24, 2014, 05:48 Moscow time, Soyuz TMA-15Mspacecraft launched from #31 launching pad of Baikonur spaceport on November 24, 00.01, Moscow time, successfully docked with the ISS Rassvet small research module

Vice President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Lev Zelyony stated that Russia and the United States have no plans to end joint scientific experiments on board the International Space Station.

Baikonur spaceport saw traditional flag-raising ceremony symbolizing the beginning of final preflight preparations.