Today, on April 9, 2020, at 11:05:06 (Moscow time), the "Soyuz-2.1a" launch vehicle with the "Soyuz MS-16" manned spacecraft launched from the platform № 31 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

The Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket with the Soyuz MS-16 crewed spacecraft is scheduled to launch on April 9, 2020 at 08:05:06 UTC. https://youtu.be/GRPGbfxTN94

The State Commission for conducting flight tests of manned space systems, chaired by Dmitry Rogozin, General Director of Roscosmos State Corporation, approved the composition of the main and backup crews of the "Soyuz MS-16" manned spacecraft.

This morning, April 6, 2020, in accordance with the decision of the State Commission, the "Soyuz-2.1a" launch vehicle was rolled out to the launch pad of site № 31.

On April 4, 2020, meetings of the Technical Management and the State Commission were held at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, where they examined the readiness of the "Soyuz-2.1a" launch vehicle with the "Soyuz MS-16" manned spacecraft to be rolled out to the launch pad of site № 31.

At the site № 17 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome the final stage of the preparation of the ISS-63 crew for the upcoming space flight is in full swing.

At Baikonur Cosmodrome the preparation of the "Soyuz MS-16" manned spacecraft continues for launch on April 9, 2020 under the program of the 62nd and 63rd main expeditions to the International Space Station.

At the Baikonur Cosmodrome, specialists at the Yuzhny Space Center and the RSC "Energia" (parts of Roscosmos State Corporation) completed operations on refueling the "Soyuz MS-16" manned spacecraft with fuel components and compressed gases.

At the Baikonur cosmodrome, the final stage of preparation of the main and backup crews of the "Soyuz MS-16" manned spacecraft for flight under the program of the 63rd main expedition to the International Space Station has begun.

The "Soyuz-2.1b" launch vehicle with the "Fregat" upper stage and 34 satellites of the OneWeb communications system was successfully launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on March 21, 2020 at 20:06 (Moscow time).