The final stage of pre-flight training of Soyuz TMA-11M crew that will soon join the team working onboard the International Space Station started at Baikonur spaceport.
On October 28 the prime crew of Michail Tyurin (Roscosmos), Rick Mastracchio (NASA) and Koichi Wakata (JAXA) together with their backups Maxim Suraev (Roscosmos) Reid Wiseman (NASA) and Alexander Gerst (ESA) completed the first “fitcheck” of their spacecraft in test and assembly facility of site 254.
During this activity cosmonauts and astronauts passed through safety briefings and familiarized with flight equipment they’ll have to operate in space, tried on and leak-checked their spacesuits, evaluated controls, communication and alarm system of Soyuz, got acquainted with payloads to be delivered to the space station by their mission.
The launch of Soyuz TMA-11M is scheduled to November 7, 2013. This expedition will carry the Olympic torch to the ISS, and just two days later this torch will complete the first ever in the history spacewalk.
Image credit – Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center
