Baikonur prepares for Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket launch

The next launch from Baikonur is scheduled for April 9, 2020 at 02:05pm Nur-Sultan time. Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket with the Soyuz MS-16 manned spacecraft onboard will be launched on this day.

In accordance with preparation schedule, the specialists performed a set of technological operations for docking the ship with the adapter section of the third stage block of the carrier rocket. The training of the crews, the preparation of the launch complex, carrier rocket and spacecraft are carried out as planned, the press service of the Russian Space Agency informed.

The crew of the 63rd ISS expedition includes Roscosmos cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Wagner and NASA astronaut Christopher Cassidy. The backup crew consists of Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov, Andrei Babkin and NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen.