In accordance with the International Space Station flight program, on April 9, 2021, 10:42 (Moscow time), the Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle with the Yu.A. Gagarin manned spacecraft (Soyuz MS-18) lifted off from launch pad No.31 at Baikonur Cosmodrome with the ISS-65 long-duration expedition crew aboard.
This manned spacecraft got a name of its own, Yu.A. Gagarin. A well-established tradition calls for the space mission closest to this significant date to be dedicated to the planet’s first cosmonaut, Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin, whose name already adorns the surface of the screen-vacuum thermal insulation of the ship’s habitation module. In addition, the front cowling of the launch vehicle will bear official insignia commemorating the 60th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s flight in space. The mission is planned to operate for 191 days.
Details of the expedition
Roscosmos will be hosting a live broadcast of the launch vehicle lift-off, the docking of the ship with the International Space Station and the meeting of crews in Earth orbit. Let’s watch together!
Photo on the homepage: Oleg Kononenko / Roscosmos
