Members of the main crew to the 40/41th expedition to the ISS – Maksim Suraev (Roscosmos, RF), Rid Vizeman (NASA, US) and Aleksander Gerst (ESA, Germany) are playing chess.

Test and training facility of cosmonauts’ preparation center, Baykonur, preflight training of main and backup crew. Rid Vizeman, a flight engineer of Soyuz-TMA-13M crew, NASA astronaut, is on the rotational chair. 

Test and training facility of cosmonauts’ preparation center, Baykonur. Maksim Suraev, a cosmonaut of Roscosmos, and Aleksander Gerst, astronaut of ESA, are training on the orthotables, preparing to work in zero gravity conditions. A special purpose table changes position, inclining into one or another side and thus blood runs within human body from feet to head and back, it enables training of hemodynamic stability.

Test and training facility of cosmonauts’ preparation center, Baykonur, alley of cosmonauts. According to many years’ tradition, beginning with Y.A.Gagarin, cosmonauts, which will be sent into space for the first time, plant trees in the alley of cosmonuats, which is in the premises of training facility of cosmonauts’ preparation center in Baykonur. 

Test and training facility of cosmonauts’ preparation center, Baykonur, alley of cosmonauts. Maksim Suraev, Rid Vizeman and Aleksander Gerst are showing a symbol of expedition– a stele of “zero gravity” located at the entrance to Baykonur, which is devoted to contribution into space exploration made by the residents of the city. 

Test and training facility of cosmonauts’ preparation center, Baykonur, alley of cosmonauts. A photo of the main crew of the 40/41th expedition to ISS consisting of Maksim Suraev (Roscosmos), Rid Vizeman (NASA) and Aleksander Gerst (ESA) with Soyuz-FG in the background.

Complex of RKK, Baykonur cosmodrome. Crew of the 40/41th expedition to ISS is performing acceptance of Soyuz-TMA-13M.

Complex of RKK Energy, Baykonur cosmodrome. Placing of traditional indicators of weightlessness into Soyuz-TMA-13M: a cuddly toy giraffe for Rid Vizeman, NASA’s astronaut, and a mouse for Aleksander Gerst, ESA’s astronaut.

Complex of RKK Energy, Baykonur cosmodrome. Soyuz-TMA-13M TLC is under nose fairing.

Assembly and test facility of TsSKB-Progress in Baykonur cosmodrome. A photo of main and backup screw and specialists of TsSKB-Progress was taken at the background of Soyuz-FG.

Assembly and test facility of TsSKB-Progress in Baykonur cosmodrome. Main crew of the 40/41th expedition to ISS consisting of Maksim Suraev (Roscosmos), Rid Vizeman (NASA) and Aleksander Gerst (ESA).

Assembly and test facility of TsSKB-Progress in Baykonur cosmodrome. Main crew of the 40/41th expedition to ISS consisting of Maksim Suraev (Roscosmos), Rid Vizeman (NASA) and Aleksander Gerst (ESA).

Assembly and test facility of TsSKB-Progress in Baykonur cosmodrome. Main crew of the 40/41th expedition to ISS consisting of Maksim Suraev (Roscosmos), Rid Vizeman (NASA) and Aleksander Gerst (ESA) are pointing at Soyuz-FG which is to place Soyuz-TMA-13M into orbit. Speaking about launchers, produced in Samara, a crew captain said that our launchers meant reliability, quality and no-failure operation in any conditions. 

Assembly and test facility of TsSKB-Progress in Baykonur cosmodrome. Backup and main crew (left-to-right): Terry Verts (NASA, US), Samanta Kristoforetty (ESA, Italy), Anton Shkaplerov (Roscosmos, RF), Aleksander Gerst (ESA, Germany), Maksim Suraev (Roscosmos, RF), RID Vizeman (NASA, US).

Assembly and test facility of TsSKB-Progress in Baykonur cosmodrome. V.A.Kapitonov, launch engineering manager, is showing launchers produced by TsSKB-Progress to the cosmonauts. 

Museum of Baykonur cosmodrome. Maksim Suraev, a crew captain, puts his signature to the part of Soyuz-TMA-13M nose fairing Командир ТПК «Союз ТМА-21» launched by Soyuz-FG in the year of 50^th anniversary of the first manned launch.

Assembly and test facility of TsSKB-Progress in Baykonur cosmodrome. General assembly of the launcher, mating of Soyuz-TMA-13M to Soyuz-FG, integration of rescue emergency system.